


To Acclaim Victory

by mdr_24601



Series: Finnick and Annie [1]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: 70th Hunger Games, District 4 (Hunger Games), F/M, Finnick Odair-centric, Forced Prostitution, Pre-Canon, The Capitol, Victors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 36,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24059134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdr_24601/pseuds/mdr_24601
Summary: "They say I'm mad. Am I mad, Finnick?""We're all a little mad, Annie. Some of us are just better at hiding it."In which Finnick Odair loves not his string of fancy lovers from the Capitol, but a poor, mad girl back home.
Relationships: Annie Cresta & Mags & Finnick Odair, Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair, Johanna Mason & Finnick Odair
Series: Finnick and Annie [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1735672
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thanks for clicking on this story. As far as trigger warnings go, the tags basically explain all you need to know. 
> 
> My Tumblr is @the-sun-and-the-sea if you want to check it out. 
> 
> Thanks again for giving this story a try, and I hope you enjoy.

Nothing was quite the same after Finnick arrived home.

The oceans still crashed upon the shore as they always did; the sun reflected upon the water as it always had, but nothing was quite the same. Something was different about District 4, Finnick noticed; it came in the way people treated him. And, perhaps, the way he saw the world.

Finnick had heard stories about the victors never being the same after the arena. It made sense. The arena was indescribable; only a victor would understand what it was like.

But he was cocky. He was fourteen, and already training at the same level as the eighteen-year-olds. He thought himself invincible. Physically, that may have been true, but that was the funny thing about Career academies: they don't take into account the mental strain that comes with taking a life.

This was why Finnick found solace in his mentor, Mags. She knew what he had been through. She understood. And, most importantly, she didn't treat him any differently.

He was only fourteen years old. He was still a child. However, and perhaps Mags knew this better than anyone; you can't send children into the arena and expect them to still be children when they came back out. 

Still, he put on a brave face for the cameras as they filmed his return. He smiled and hugged his family. He thanked the Capitol for their generosity as he and his family moved into their new house in Victors' Village.

It wasn't long after his homecoming that Finnick first noticed the nightmares. They came without fail every night. Every night, he woke up screaming, trying to fight against a threat that was no longer there. This was one of the first times Finnick realized that he would never be free of the Games, but it wasn't the last.

He had asked Mags once if the nightmares would ever go away. She didn't answer explicitly, but the sad smile and shake of her head gave Finnick all the answer he needed.

Yes, Finnick had changed. It was obvious to everyone who had known him before. He may only be fourteen, but Finnick Odair was no longer a child.

* * *

Finnick had a big family. Two parents and two sisters and a brother. Big families weren't uncommon in District 4, but they were a rarity for victors. How unlucky he was, they had said. To have so many siblings. He had earned quite a few sympathetic glances when he mentioned his large family to his fellow victors.

Finnick hadn't understood at the time, being only fourteen, still in the awkward stage of adolescence. Not yet old or experienced enough to understand. Still, he accepted their sympathetic words gratefully, if a bit confusedly.

It wouldn't be until he was sixteen that Finnick would understand the significance of the enormity of his family.

More family means more leverage, as Mags had sadly explained to him. As Snow had repeated later in one of their first meetings, and suddenly Finnick's large family sounded more like a curse than a blessing.

_You have quite a big family, Mr. Odair. It would be tragic if something were to happen to them, don't you think?_

Not tragic, exactly. The word tragic implied accident, and this situation was far from coincidental.

So Finnick learned quickly to play by the rules. To sit down and stop talking and accept his new life, in an effort to preserve his family. Play their game. Smile, laugh, make jokes, make them forget you're actually a murderer. Just like the arena.

Strange how that worked out, he thought. After all of his work to make it out of the arena, and he'd never even left.

It was his valor that had gotten him there, Snow had said. It was his courage that helped him survive the first arena, but he learned quickly that it was going to take more than courage to survive this new one. 


	2. Chapter 2

During the first few years after he won the Hunger Games, Finnick often found himself going to the beach.

The beach was his safe space. Well, as safe as it could get when you were a victor. Even four years after his victory, his popularity had not died down. Girls still came up to him on the street, asking for an autograph or a picture or a date. People still pointed and whispered when they thought he wasn't looking.

The best time for going to the beach, Finnick observed, was early morning. When the sun hadn't quite risen yet and it made reflections dance across the water.

Of course, there was the added benefit of very little people being there.

The first thing Finnick noticed when he arrived at the beach one early morning was a girl. Intrigued, he stepped closer to get a better look. Her dark hair flowed down to her waist in frazzled curls; cascading down her back like waves.

He recognized her as soon as he got closer. They'd played together as children, before he went into the Games. They went to school together, but they were not in the same class. He was a year older than she was.

He remembered running around her parents' shop as the hot sun beat down on them. Playing in the sea, swimming, fishing with his father and catching her eye from across the beach. She could hold her breath longer than anyone else, he remembered, an impressive feat in a community of swimmers. 

He remembered one day when he saw her swimming at the beach. She went under water and stayed under so long that he was afraid she wasn't going to come back up. In hindsight, that wouldn't make sense; nobody drowned in District 4, after all. 

They were never friends, not really, but acquaintances was possibly a more fitting word.

They had known each other once, but Annie Cresta had not spoken a single word to him since he was crowned victor.

The second thing he noticed was that she was standing in the ocean; letting the waves wash over her feet, but not swimming.

"Aren't you going to get in?" The question spilled out of his mouth before he even knew what he was doing.

Annie turned to him as if she was lost in her own thoughts. If she was shocked by having someone as well known as Finnick Odair ask her a question, she didn't show it. She just turned to him and calmly said, "No, I just like to watch the sunrise here."

"I see. It's nice, isn't it?" Finnick asked. "A break from all the people."

"I would have thought you liked all the crowds," Annie remarked smoothly.

There was no need to ask why she thought that. Finnick gave a halfhearted shrug. "Maybe you don't know me very well, then."

"Maybe not," she agreed.

A silence stretched between them. It was comfortable, as if they were already friends. As though they hadn't gone years without speaking.

"But I'd like to," Annie finished, breaking the silence. "Get to know you, I mean."

 _You and all the other women in Panem,_ he almost quipped back. But somehow he knew that wasn't what Annie wanted to hear. There was an honesty about her and Finnick knew his seductive facade would have no place in a friendship with her.

"What do you say we go for a swim?" Finnick asked as he held out a hand. Annie accepted it and the two waded further into the water.

"I like swimming in the morning," Annie smiled. "It's refreshing."

Finnick realized that there was something different about the way Annie spoke to him. He couldn't quite identify the difference, but it was a pleasant change from how most other people treated him.

Finnick found himself smiling with contentment. He and Annie spent the rest of the morning on the beach, and Finnick was happy. Truly happy, not like the facade he put on for the Capitol.

And, Finnick grinned, it was a welcome change.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Finnick and Annie spent their spare time on the beach. He didn't have to work or go to school, so Finnick had quite a lot of free time. Any time that wasn't spent with Annie was spent with Mags, the only parental figure he had in his life.

His family had tried to live in Victors' Village with him for a while. They brought his sisters and his brother and tried to pretend like everything was completely normal. In turn, Finnick tried to pretend he didn't notice the wary glances his parents sent his way when they thought he wasn't looking. They didn't look at him the same, he knew that. His siblings didn't either, for that matter.

By the time he was sixteen, his family had moved back out. They watched from home on the television as he celebrated his birthday in the Capitol, all bright lights and colorful people and strong alcohol. By the time they had seen him leave the party with a woman twice his age, they were gone.

Still, finding out that his parents had died from a tropical storm while he was in the Capitol made his heart ache. His siblings stopped speaking to him then.

It was for the best, anyway. His big family had always been dangerous, so at least now he had one less thing to worry about.

At first, Finnick thought the lack of people in his home in Victors' Village is what made it so empty. He soon discovered that no matter what, it will never feel like home. This was why he elected to spend time with Mags or Annie instead.

District 4 did have a few other victors who didn't regularly mentor, because they weren't as popular with the Capitol. Still, they were a team; the other victors of 4 helped him when he was still fresh out of the arena.

As he opened the door to his house, he was met once again with how glaringly empty it was. Heaving a sigh, Finnick stepped into the house.

He wandered around for a moment before something caught his eye on the table. Walking closer, he found an envelope. He recognized the opulent paper and the familiar elegant handwriting immediately.

And Finnick's heart sank.

* * *

"Why do you have to leave?" Annie asked, as the two sat on the beach together. Finnick and Annie had become increasingly close since they reformed their friendship, and Finnick knew these questions would arise eventually. Why he had to return to the Capitol so much, and why he had to keep it secret.

Would she not want to associate herself with him anymore? Finnick wouldn't blame her; he wouldn't want to be friends with someone like him anyway.

"I'm needed at the Capitol," Finnick said, choosing his words carefully.

Annie sighed. "Can't you say no?"

He wished it were that easy. He had tried once to say no. He was young, only sixteen, and still carried that arrogant invincibility many new Career victors acquired after winning. Finnick thought he was untouchable. After finding the mangled bodies of his parents with a delicate white rose placed on each, he was careful not to make that mistake again.

Of course, that wasn't Annie's problem to worry about.

"It'll only be a few days, I promise," Finnick assured her. He tried to ignore the dismayed look on her face as she nodded sadly.

"I wish you didn't have to leave, Finnick." Annie rested her head on Finnick's shoulder. "It'll be lonely without you."

Finnick nodded. He would miss Annie. Her smile, her laugh, the way her eyes sparkled when she was happy. Still, it was only a few days. He'd be back before he had the chance to miss her.

As much as he desperately wished to stay, he had people to protect. Finnick knew what was expected of him.

"I'll miss you, too, Annie."

It was okay to say that here, because there were no cameras on the beach. Finnick knew, because he had checked multiple times. The beach was safe.

* * *

Leaving District 4 for the Capitol was never something Finnick looked forward to. Sure, he looked like he enjoyed every minute of it on camera, but that was because nobody really knew him. Nobody knew how to tell when his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Finnick knew why Snow instructed him to act the way he did in the Capitol. As much as he might like to deny it, that character was a very real part of him. He could convince himself that it was just a character, just a performance, not real. And, to an extent, that was true; the real Finnick didn't enjoy having sex with any random man or woman who wanted him. But the real Finnick did smile seductively, and make jokes, and take multiple sugar cubes in his coffee, just like Capitol Finnick. And that worried him.

The hardest part of his job wasn't the performing or the sex or the parties. It was separating the real Finnick from the Capitol Finnick, and coming to terms with the fact that they maybe weren't all that different.

Mags had warned him that playing a character for too long could cause irreparable damage; that the mask might settle into his face and become part of his skin forever. Or like when parents told their children not to make a certain expression because their face might freeze that way. Well, his face was just about frozen, only it had frozen as a character he didn't particularly want or like.

Authenticity was nonexistent in the Capitol, not just in him but in everyone. The Capitol didn't care for authentic. No, the Capitol just wanted a good show, and some good characters to root for.

That's all he was to them, really; a character. As though his own thoughts and feelings didn't exist; a hollow structure of flesh that adopted whatever personality they wanted from him. A trophy, for them to parade around and show off to their friends.

 _Look at this,_ they would say. _My date is Finnick Odair. Isn't he just marvelous?_

They didn't treat him like a person. They treated him like an object.

Ignoring the bile rising in his throat, Finnick boarded the train. Why was it so hard to leave? Why did he feel like he had something to stay for, after all these years?

It wasn't until he was arriving at the Capitol that he realized he would be leaving the one girl who treated him like a person.


	3. Chapter 3

From the very beginning, Finnick knew that getting attached to a person was dangerous. Especially if you were a victor.

Snow had made it very clear what was expected of him. He knew what he had to do to keep his family safe, and he knew of the risks.

He also knew that, by befriending Annie, he had put a target on her back. She could die because of Finnick's mistakes. If he stepped one toe out of line, he may return home to hear that a tragic accident had occurred, and that Annie Cresta had been right in the middle of it.

It was a hard burden to carry, but Finnick couldn't bear to distance himself from her. She was, quite honestly, the only friend he had. It was selfish of him, he knew that, but it should be okay as long as he obeyed. 

A part of him knew it was foolish to believe anything was 'okay' when it concerned Snow.

Finnick found a letter on his table in his Capitol apartment when he arrived. Feeling slightly sick, he picked it up to read it.

_Mr. Odair,_

_Your presence is requested at the Presidential Mansion's meeting room at two o'clock this afternoon, assuming you had a successful trip._

_I hope to see you there. And please, do give my regards to Miss Cresta._

_Coriolanus Snow_   
_President of Panem_

Finnick's blood ran cold. How did he know about Annie? She wasn't even a victor; he had no reason to know anything about their growing friendship.

He felt the room spin and his knees grow weak as he fell backwards into a kitchen chair. They were just friends. Him and Annie were just friends. As long as they remained that way, Snow would have no leverage against him. Yes, they were just friends.

Panic rose in his chest as he glanced at the clock. It was already 1:30. He had a meeting with Snow in only 30 minutes.

In his haste to get ready, he had no time to dwell on why Snow's knowledge of Annie caused his stomach to churn.

* * *

Finnick sat anxiously as he waited for Snow to invite him into his office. He hated how Snow had such a hold on him; how just a few words could reduce him to a trembling mess. But, as he was constantly reminded, the lives of his loved ones were at stake here.

"Mr. Odair." Lost in his thoughts, Finnick had not noticed the president open the door and invite him in. "Come in."

Silently, Finnick walked into the office. Although he had been here many times before, it never got any easier.

"Mr. Odair," Snow said again, a hint of a slight smile on his lips. "I trust your trip went well?"

"Yes," Finnick said stiffly, his eyes darted around the room. The saccharine smell of roses seemed to consume him. "Thank you."

Paying no mind to Finnick's discomfort, Snow continued. "As you are aware, you have several appointments these next few days. The Capitol is quite infatuated with you, Mr. Odair. You are a valuable asset to Panem."

Finnick's mind reeled as he wondered where Snow was going with this.

"It would not do to mess up that image, would it?" Snow asked.

"No, sir."

The president smiled, and Finnick could have sworn he smelled blood. He shuddered as Snow started to speak again. "Good, so we agree. And as Panem's most eligible bachelor, it would be rather...disappointing to hear that you have entered a relationship."

"Entered a relationship?" Finnick echoed, puzzled. 

"You and Annie Cresta are close, are you not?"

Finnick felt his chest tighten. He didn't want Snow anywhere near Annie. "Annie and I are just friends; we're not together."

President Snow leaned back on his chair, as if he was deep in thought. "Just friends? Well, all the same, it would be quite a shame if something were to happen to her."

The blood drained from his face as Finnick gripped the sides of his chair. Snow laughed softly.

"Rest assured, Mr. Odair, that I will not lay a hand on Miss Cresta. That is, of course, assuming you comply with my orders."

"I understand." Finnick choked over the words; the lump in his throat made it hard to speak.

"Good." Snow stood up. "Well, I'll release you now. You have quite a busy night tonight, Finnick. Just make sure you don't disappoint."

His name sounded vile coming from the snake-like lips of Snow.

"Of course, sir."

* * *

Finnick wanted to go home. He wanted to wash away the saccharine stench of the Capitol and return to the ocean, to Mags, to Annie.

He had just gotten back from a fancy Capitol party, escorting a shallow Capitol woman who had bought him for the evening. Her name was Sequoia Fargaze, although after a while, all of his clients blurred together until all he could remember was his disgust at their hands on his body, and how contaminated he felt afterwards.

He had tried, years ago, to forget the experience altogether using drugs or alcohol; things to make events blurry and easily forgotten. But he had seen people like Haymitch Abernathy, and he didn't want to turn into that. There was a fine line between fun-loving party boy and a drug addict, and Finnick was not to cross it.

To Finnick's relief, today was the day he would be returning home. He didn't have much to pack, so he just arrived at the station and boarded the train.

He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he remembered is glancing out the window to see the wide, blue oceans of District 4.

Finally, he was able to step off the train. Unsurprisingly, nobody was there to greet him at the station, but that was probably for the best. He needed a good shower and a nap before he could properly interact with anyone.

As much as he wanted to sleep, Finnick found himself walking towards the beach. He smiled as he breathed in the salty scent of the ocean; as sand got in his toes. And finally, after what felt like years, he felt the water rush over his feet and ankles as he waded in, fully clothed.

Finnick wasn't aware of how long he just stood there, the water up to his waist. He only turned when he heard footsteps, and there she was.

He didn't realize how much he had missed Annie when he was away, but the sight of her had eased the feelings of anxiety that had been growing in his chest since he arrived at the Capitol.

"Finnick!" Annie laughed as she ran over to join him in the water. To his surprise, Finnick didn't bristle when Annie embraced him.

He noticed that her hug, as well as the familiar ocean, had a cleansing effect on his body. Finnick melted into Annie's embrace.

"I missed you," she grinned.

"I missed you, too."

Finally, he was home.


	4. Chapter 4

Months had passed since Finnick had last gone to the Capitol. He was relieved by the break, but he knew it was coming to an end as the 69th Hunger Games approached. With him so easily accessible in the Capitol, Snow made sure he had plenty of clients to keep him busy.

"Finnick!" Annie called into his house. She had her own house key now, and often entered on her own. "Finn, where are you?"

"I'm here, Annie!" Finnick called down the stairs. "I'll be down in a minute."

True to his word, Finnick joined Annie downstairs a moment later. They were both dressed in nice clothes, and Annie had her long hair braided back. Finnick couldn't help the pit of anxiety growing in his stomach; today was reaping day.

He thought, reasonably, that Annie would be safe for another year. Finnick hadn't done anything that would warrant any sort of punishment since he had known Annie, but he couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Are you ready to go?" Annie asked. "I know how you hate this, Finn, but I'll be here waiting for you when you get back."

If only she knew how empty that promise really was.

"I know," Finnick smiled. Their friendship is what had gotten Finnick through the last three months. He couldn't lose her, not now.

"I made you something," Annie said shyly. "You can take it with you, if you want. Y'know, to remember home while you're there."

Although Annie didn't know exactly what went on at the Capitol, she knew that Finnick didn't like any of it. She was observant that way.

She pulled out a simple rope bracelet, made from the same rope that nets were made from in Four. "It's beautiful, Annie, thank you. I love it."

The two embraced, smiling; Finnick felt himself relax, even for just a second. Annie was like...well, Annie was indescribable, really. She had done so much for him; he just hoped she wouldn't have to pay for his mistakes.

"Finn," Annie said gently. "We have to go now, or we'll be late."

"I know," Finnick sighed. "Let's go."

Stepping outside, Finnick automatically noticed how nice the weather was. There wasn't a cloud in the clear blue sky, and the light breeze made the warm temperature comfortable. It would have been a beautiful day, if not for the cloud of tension lingering in the air.

When they arrived at the Town Square, Annie bid him farewell and joined the other seventeen-year-olds. Finnick took his place on stage next to Mags, who gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 69th annual Hunger Games!" the District Four escort, Electra, began. Finnick zoned out as she repeated the dull speech from every year. His mind was focused on something else. His eyes skimmed the crowd, searching for her face. He just hoped it wouldn't be Annie's name that they called.

"Ladies first!" Finnick's shoulders tensed as his hand tightened around Mags' hand.

"Valora Cleartide!"

He breathed a sigh of relief, tension melting from his tight shoulders. It wasn't Annie. Annie was safe for another year. Instead the reaped girl was a thin wisp of a girl, who appeared to be only twelve or thirteen.

He felt shame twist in his gut as he realized he felt glad that another girl would be faced with imminent death. Finnick listened as the male tribute was reaped ("Colin Lockstone!").

As if he was on autopilot, Finnick boarded the train and waited to greet the tributes. He heaved a sigh as he remembered what would be expected of him now that he was in the Capitol.

Finnick just hoped he would get back to Annie as soon as possible.

* * *

The tributes this year didn't stand a chance; Finnick knew that. Both were rather young, only thirteen and fourteen respectively. They hadn't been trained, either. Finnick felt his heart clench as he realized he would leave yet another pair of tributes helpless.

"I hate this, Mags, I hate this." Finnick buried his head in his hands. Both Valora and Colin had already gone to bed, and nobody was around to watch him break down. "I hate mentoring these kids every year, knowing they're going to die. And we're not even to the Capitol yet!"

"I know," Mags said. Due to her stroke a few years back, her speech was garbled. Finnick, who had spent years in her company, was one of the only people who could understand her. "Pull yourself together, boy. They need you now."

With that, she stood up and hobbled to the kitchen.

Finnick knew she was right. He had a job to do. As much as he just wanted to be home, he set to work on planning strategies for his tributes.

It was highly possible that all of this would go to waste once both his tributes were dead in the bloodbath, but he had a role to play.

And he wasn't going to let anyone he loved suffer because he didn't play it correctly.

* * *

The next few days passed in a whirlwind of preparation for the Games. Between interviews, training, strategy planning, and getting sponsors, Finnick was drained. Unfortunately, nobody wanted to sponsor two young tributes who weren't even Careers, which meant that Finnick had to live up to his reputation to do some extra persuading.

On the morning of the interviews, breakfast was tense. Valora and Colin were both nervous, for the interviews and the impending threat of death in the arena. Electra was trying to get them excited, but her attempts were futile. 

"It'll be wonderful, dear, I promise," the escort gushed, placing a gentle hand on Valora's arm. "You'll get to wear a beautiful dress and everyone will be cheering for you!" Valora gave her wary glance, and Electra hurried to reassure her. "Oh, I understand that you're nervous. I was nervous my first year of being an escort, too, and that required extra stage presence since that was the same year Finnick won! My friends told me that I was so lucky, and that it was like fate! Why, that was a wonderful year, wasn't it, Finnick?"

Finnick laughed softly. "Well, it certainly changed my life."

Electra clapped excitedly. "See, dear, you could have all that if you win. You're getting an amazing chance to do something with your life!"

"Or we could die, and our lives would be over," Colin said bluntly, considerably more talkative than Valora. Beside Finnick, Mags let out a small cough of surprise at Colin's brutal honesty. Electra looked slightly surprised but covered it with another bright smile.

"Possibly so, but it would be for a good cause! You can go down as a hero, keeping peace in Panem!" 

Colin looked like he wanted to speak again but refrained. Electra smiled tightly and stood up, smoothing her skirt before announcing she was off to prepare for the interviews.

The kids mumbled something about getting ready and left the table, leaving him and Mags alone. They exchanged sad smiles, silent words of understanding in the way only the two of them could. It wasn't their first time dealing with scared children, but it didn't really get any easier with time.

On top of everything, he still missed Annie. The only thing he could do was hold onto the rope bracelet she made and hope it would all be over soon.

* * *

Both Colin and Valora had died in the bloodbath, and Finnick hated himself by how relieved he was. He knew he shouldn't be happy that two innocent children had died. The traditional rule with mentoring was that once your tributes had died, you were free to leave.

He should have known that the traditional rules of mentoring don't apply when you're Finnick Odair.

Snow kept him busy for days after his tributes died. Finnick was paraded around the Capitol, with client after client, all gushing about how fortunate it was that he was able to make time in his busy schedule to be here.

He felt disgusted as he plastered a smile on his face and told everyone how happy he was to be here, and how grateful he was for the Capitol's hospitality.

All he wanted was to be back home, but of course, he couldn't tell them that.

And as he let an unfamiliar Capitol woman explore his body, his only thought was that he was glad Annie couldn't see him now.


	5. Chapter 5

The waves looked defeated.

Was it even possible for waves to look defeated? Finnick didn't know, and he didn't care to find out.

The waves which usually soothed him merely mocked him as he sat there on the beach. The sun was beating down on his skin, but he couldn't bring himself to get up and into the water.

He had returned home from the Capitol only a few hours ago. As usual, he went to the beach. Whether he was trying to avoid people or seek comfort from a familiar sight he didn't know. Perhaps a bit of both.

Now came the time to attempt to adjust to being back home, shedding the Capitol persona and becoming his real self again. Except it wasn't that simple, because nothing ever is. 

He wanted to assure himself that it was okay, he was fine despite what he had done in the Capitol. But that was never how it worked. He knew it as an eager to please fourteen year old, and he knew it now. It was one thing to go to the Capitol and perform, become someone else. 

It was entirely another to enhance the parts that were already there. Finnick fit in so well with the superficial Capitol citizens even though he was performing. What did that say about his "real self"?

"Hey, Finn." Annie sat down next to him quietly. He hadn't heard her approach. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Annie."

Annie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're not fine, Finnick. You've been sitting here on this beach for four hours, and you haven't moved."

Four hours? Had he really been sitting here that long?

"Talk to me, Finn," Annie coaxed gently, grabbing his hand. "What's going on?"

Finnick sighed. His heart felt heavy in his chest, and his body felt like lead.

"I—I can't tell you." He paused for a moment. "Don't worry about it."

"Something's wrong, Finnick. Don't think I can't tell when you're upset. Maybe I can help."

Finnick thought for a moment as he considered the kind of impact telling Annie would have. Snow had never strictly said he couldn't tell anyone, but Finnick knew better than to tell people what it really meant to be a victor. That would, of course, tarnish the reputation and festivities of the Hunger Games. 

No, if people knew what it meant to survive the arena, the Games would lose their publicity. And the Capitol citizens were shallow and empty-headed, never looking beneath the surface. In a way, they saw only what they wanted to see. A wake-up call could perhaps have done them some good, but that was not Finnick's call to make. 

But Annie wasn't from the Capitol. She didn't adore President Snow and she wasn't superficial like many of the Capitol citizens. She was genuine in a way that many of them could never achieve. 

"You would feel disgusted by me if I told you." The words were barely audible. Finnick stared out at the ocean, not even meeting Annie's eyes.

Annie just shook her head, tears shining in her sea-green eyes. "I could never feel disgusted by you, Finn. I promise."

Finnick took a deep breath. Annie deserved to know. "Just please, hear me out, okay? I don't want you to get mad until I tell you everything."

Annie nodded.

"I'm sure you've seen me on television at the Capitol," he began bitterly. "Escorting a different woman every time."

"Yes, I was always a little confused by that," Annie said. "I figured you didn't want to talk about it, so I never asked, but you never seemed like the type to sleep with anyone at any time like that."

"Yeah," Finnick laughed softly. Leave it to Annie to notice things like that. "I don't want to be with those women. Those women paid for me. They bought my body for the night, and they can do whatever they want with it." His words were cold and detached, his eyes focused on the ocean in front of him. 

"Oh," Annie said softly, lowering her gaze. "I was expecting something like that, actually."

"What?" Finnick asked, looking at her. "You were?"

Annie shifted uncomfortably. "Well, maybe not exactly that, but I could tell you weren't happy. You're a good actor, Finnick, but you can only pretend so much. Besides, it's the Capitol. I've never been there, but these are the same people who watch the Hunger Games and enjoy it. It isn't very surprising that there's something else going on."

Finnick nodded, breathing deep. So she knew, this whole time, that something was going on. He wanted to both laugh and cry. He let out something that was a mix of the two, a choked sound that made his shoulders heave. 

Annie grabbed on to his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "But I want you to tell me how you want. Say whatever you need. I'm listening."

Finnick nodded slowly and began. "If a victor is considered popular or desirable, Capitol citizens can pay for them for the night. And you can't refuse, because he has ways of killing your loved ones and making it look like an accident."

A few tears spilled from Annie's eyes, but she waited for him to continue. 

"I understand if you don't want to be seen with me anymore, this is such a messed up situation. I get if you don't want to be a part of it." 

"Finnick." Annie's firm tone surprised him. "I still want to be your friend. I'm not ashamed of you. You don't do it of your own volition."

"You don't know that!" he exclaimed. "Maybe this is just who I am, okay? Just like those Capitol people."

Annie shook her head. "I know you don't enjoy it, Finnick. If you were really happy, you wouldn't sit on the beach for hours every time you got home, or stayed in your house all day whenever you found out you had to go back."

Finnick just shook his head, letting a few tears of his own slip out. Annie wrapped her arms around him. Time seemed to disappear as they sat there, clinging to each other and crying. After what seemed like forever, they pulled away from each other.

He was sure he looked a mess; hair tousled and eyes red-rimmed from crying. He never let anyone see him so fragile. He just felt so comfortable with Annie, so safe.

"Feel better?" Annie asked, a hint of a smile gracing her lips. Finnick nodded.

"Yeah. Thank you." He felt as though a huge burden was lifted off his shoulders.

"Good."

Finnick felt himself smile. It was then that he noticed he and Annie were holding hands, their fingers interlaced. He didn't want to bring it to her attention, just in case she let go.

"Hey, Finn?" Annie asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, Annie?"

"Are you in the mood for a swim?"

Finnick beamed as he and Annie stood up and waded into the water. What was supposed to be a mere swim turned into a full blown water fight as the two splashed at each other, laughing and shrieking like little kids.

In a moment of disorientation, Finnick's heart soared as he felt Annie's lips on his.

It was fitting, he thought, to have their first kiss in the water. He pulled her closer, his hand resting on the small of her back. She tasted salty; of happiness and of home.

But this moment wasn't happiness.

No, this was euphoria.

* * *

When Finnick and Annie finally said goodbye and went their separate ways, Finnick felt as though he was walking on a cloud. He couldn't remember a time where he had felt this happy, this carefree.

The worries that usually plagued his mind seemed to cease when he was with Annie. It was as though she was the cure for everything that he did with the Capitol. Somehow, she made everything okay again.

They had kissed, Finnick realized with a jolt. Despite his reputation as a whore, this was the first time he had ever kissed anyone willingly.

Finnick felt his heart plummet as he realized what this meant. Him and Annie were no longer just friends. He had put an even bigger target on her back.

Why did he have to be so selfish? Why couldn't he have just done what Snow asked? His previously calm mind was now contaminated once again by his activities in the Capitol. 

He had to tell Annie. But how was he supposed to tell her that they couldn't be seen together in public? If she didn't hate him before she knew, she certainly would now.

It had been so long since Finnick really had anything to lose, anything to fight for. This passion that seemed to consume him was both euphoric and incredibly dangerous. He needed to do something.

With a tear stained face, Finnick left his house and made his way to Annie's.

Fear seemed to eat him from the inside as he knocked on her door.


	6. Chapter 6

In a stroke of good luck, Annie's parents were not home when he knocked on her door. Annie answered, taken aback by his stressed appearance.

"Finn? What're you doing here?"

"Hey, Annie," he said smoothly. Sounding calm in the face of rising panic was a skill he had perfected over the years. "Is there somewhere private we could talk?"

"Sure," Annie said slowly, her eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "Let's talk inside."

"Annie," Finnick began as soon as they got inside and he knew it was safe to talk. "We can't be together. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten your hopes up, if I hadn't been so selfish—"

Annie's mouth was agape as she processed the information. "Finnick!"

Abruptly stopping his rant, Finnick looked up.

"Slow down and explain to me what's going on." Annie led Finnick to the couch. He took a few deep breaths and collected himself.

"I'm not allowed to date anyone," Finnick whispered. "I have to remain single, so the Capitol women can still buy me. I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

He knew he looked so broken, so defeated, but he couldn't help it. He was tired of pretending to be happy.

"Finn...none of this is your fault. I don't blame you for any of this. I was the one who kissed you, remember?" Annie said gently.

"Snow said I wasn't allowed to enter a public relationship with anyone," Finnick continued, as if he didn't process anything Annie had just said. "He knows about you, Annie. He won't be afraid to use you against me. I'm putting you in danger."

"I'd rather be in danger with you than safe without you." Annie's face flushed as she realized what she said. "I'm sorry. That was cheesy."

Finnick didn't mind. "You really mean that?"

Annie took her hand in his. "Of course I mean it, Finn. I want to be with you. If you'll have me."

"I want to be with you, too," he breathed.

"Good." Annie wiped a stray tear from his cheek. "Then we'll work it out. Snow never said we couldn't have a private relationship. We just can't be seen in public. It will be fine, Finn, I promise."

Finnick nodded as he processed her words. He knew she was right.

"Now, go home and get some rest, and we'll talk tomorrow." Giving him one last farewell kiss, Annie ushered him out the door.

Finnick didn't realize how tired he was until he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

The next few days were some of the best days of Finnick's life. He was either with Annie at his house or at hers, just spending time together and enjoying each others company. If they weren't at home, they were on the beach, in the water.

He couldn't remember a time when he felt so free. When he felt so loved.

One late summer evening, he stopped by Mags' house for their weekly dinners. She greeted him with a toothy smile and a pat on the cheek.

"You look happy, boy," she said over dinner. Finnick smiled.

"I am happy."

Mags nodded in approval. "Good. She's a good girl."

Finnick looked up from his meal. "How did you know?"

Mags laughed out loud. "You really thought you were being discreet? I have my ways, boy. She's done you good."

"Yeah," Finnick smiled fondly, thinking of Annie. "Yeah, she has."

The two ate in silence for a moment. Finnick could trust Mags with anything; he was aware that she knew what he did in the Capitol. "Mags? How do I..." he trailed off, unsure.

The rest of the question hung in the air. _How do I protect Annie from Snow? How do I make sure she doesn't get hurt?_

"Be careful, boy. Love is a wonderful thing. It is also dangerous, especially given your situation." She took a few bites of food before continuing. "I think you can handle it. You know what to do."

Finnick smiled. "I did have an excellent teacher."

"There are some things I wish I didn't have to teach you," Mags said sadly. "But you were always so eager to learn, even as a child."

Finnick grinned, recalling memories. He glanced up a moment later. "Why didn't you tell me? What would happen if I won?"

Mags lowered her gaze. Her next words were spoken softly. "Because I didn't want anything to discourage you from making it out of there. If you knew what was waiting for you as a victor, I was afraid you'd have stopped trying." 

"I don't think I would have stopped trying," Finnick said. "We both know what I was like at fourteen; I was very determined to win. Besides, we trained for the arena for years, in every possible way."

"Except for how to manage winning," Mags pointed out. 

"No," Finnick agreed. "But I don't think anyone can really prepare for that."

* * *

Late summer turned into fall, and Finnick and Annie spent more time on the beach than ever. Finnick was surprised by how content he was, just sitting there, in her arms.

When he was at the beach, he didn't have to worry about anyone seeing them together. Shortly after they met, Finnick had taken Annie to a secluded part of the beach that was unnoticeable unless you knew it was there.

"Finnick?" Annie asked softly.

"Hmm?" Finnick responded absentmindedly as he played with her hair.

"When do you have to go back?" She asked. "To the Capitol, I mean."

Finnick froze for a moment as his expression darkened. "I'm not sure. I haven't gotten a letter in a while, which probably means it's coming soon."

"Oh. I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"You don't have to apologize, you have a right to know." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, as if shielding her from danger that only he could see. "Want to go swimming?"

Annie's expression immediately brightened. "Yes! Race you to the water!"

Before he can comprehend what was happening, Annie took off to the ocean, laughing hysterically, with her hair flying out behind her. Finnick joined her in the water a moment later. The couple spent the afternoon swimming and playing in the water and laughing.

After a tiring few hours of swimming, Finnick and Annie made their way back up to shore. They sat on the shoreline as the sun set, the waves splashing over their laps. The rays of sun seemed to dance across the water as the sun went down.

Finnick was content. He and Annie sat, together, with their arms wrapped around each other. Soon, the sky would go dark and they would have to separate and return to their own homes. But for now, he was happy just waiting here with her.

"Finnick?" Annie murmured sleepily as her head rested on his shoulder. The sun had set and the air was cooling down. "In a few minutes..." she yawned, "we'll need to go home."

"But we can wait a few more minutes, can't we?" Finnick asked playfully.

"Mhm." Annie's eyelids fluttered. Finnick gave a soft laugh as he watched her fall asleep.

Scooping Annie up in his arms, Finnick carried her all the way home.


	7. Chapter 7

He should have known the happiness wouldn't last.

It was like calm before the storm, in a way. Snow allowed him to be happy, to spend time with Annie, before delivering the news that he was to return to the Capitol. He had clients waiting, the president had said, and it wouldn't do to disappoint them.

Finnick recalled what Snow had said to him shortly after he won his Games. _Your victory was not a coincidence, Finnick. You had many sponsors that helped you make it out of the arena alive. I think it's time you show them how grateful you are. Return the favor._

It wasn't hard as a fourteen-year-old to want to please the Capitol. He was eager and wanted to repay them for helping him win. Because, after all, he was a victor. He survived the arena; nothing could hurt him. 

In hindsight, he was wrong about a lot of things.

He discovered the letter one early morning in autumn. He and Annie had just gotten back from the beach, discovering with delight that they both liked to wake up early and watch the sun rise.

Finnick really didn't want to go. He was due to leave just the next day, but he wanted nothing more than to stay home. Where he belonged.

Of course, there was the matter of breaking the news to Annie.

How was he supposed to tell her he would be gone for a week? Surely, she would be disappointed. They had been doing so well, they were so happy. Would Annie still want to be with him when she realized he could never dedicate himself fully to her?

His mind reeled with questions. In the letter he had received, Snow had said, " _Be sure to tell Miss Cresta I say hello."_ A seemingly innocent and pleasant line. That is, if you weren't aware of the implications. Snow was threatening him with Annie. Finnick wasn't sure if he knew about their relationship or not, but he had a feeling he would find out soon enough.

Finnick sighed heavily as he contemplated how to tell Annie.

Whatever he decided to do, he'd have to figure it out quick. Snow had instructed that he arrive at the Capitol tomorrow, so he didn't have much time to waste.

* * *

Coincidentally, Annie knocked on Finnick's door later that morning. He opened it with a smile.

"Annie, you have a key. You can just come in."

Annie laughed; her laughter was musical sound. "I know, but it felt more appropriate to knock this time. I was making bread, and I thought you might like some."

"Well, thanks," Finnick smiled as he invited her inside. "It smells good."

"Thanks."

Silently, Finnick played out the conversation in his head. When was the right time to tell her? How should he do it?

"Finnick?" Annie asked.

"What?"

"You zoned out, that's all," Annie responded, giving a delicate shrug. "Something wrong?"

"I have to go back to the Capitol." The truth spilled out of his mouth before he could soften the blow. Annie bit her lip with uncertainty.

"Oh, Finn..." she shook her head sadly. "When?"

"Tomorrow." His lips clumsily fumbled as he formed the words; his mind was elsewhere. "For a week."

Wordlessly, Annie came up to him and wrapped her arms around his trembling form. He hadn't even noticed that a few tears had dripped from his eyes until he tasted his salty tears on his lips.

"How can you still like me, when I—" he choked back a sob. "When I do what I do?"

"Because," Annie said, "I know you don't want to be with those women. I know you hate it. And, Finnick, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. It's not fair."

Finnick thought it was impossible to care for Annie any more than he already did, but she had proved him wrong.

In a cruel twist of irony, he discovered that standing was so much harder when you had something to fall for.

* * *

Finnick had always hated Capitol parties. They were too loud, too colorful, too blinding. He was drowning in a sea of colorful people. The woman who had bought him for the night, Calliope Meadows, just couldn't keep her hands off him.

So he smiled and told her she was beautiful; looked into her modified purple eyes and told her how happy he was to be here with her tonight. He let her drag him around, showing him off to her friends, knowing that he'd return to her house that night.

It would have been a relief when Calliope got dragged away by a friend, if not for the fact the President Snow was heading right towards him.

"Mr. Odair," he greeted, stretching his puffy lips into a smile. "I trust you're having a good time?"

"Always happy to be here, sir." Finnick forced the words out of his mouth.

"Of course, of course." Snow nodded merrily as he handed Finnick a drink. "Now, Mr. Odair, I just came by to remind you of what your expectations are. It would just be such a pity if something were to happen to Miss Cresta because you made a mistake, yes?"

Finnick nodded, though his mind was focused on Annie now. Was she okay? Had Snow gotten her already? He hadn't done anything wrong!

"I know of your...feelings for Miss Cresta. And your personal life is of little interest to me," Snow said. "But I can assure you that if you lose the hearts of so many here in the Capitol because they find out that you're no longer available, I will not let it go unpunished."

Finnick was silent. His tongue felt like sandpaper in his mouth.

"Am I clear, Mr. Odair?" Snow asked impatiently.

"Yes." Finnick managed to spit the word out, but it was enough to satisfy Snow. He smiled in satisfaction.

"I thought so. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Finnick gave a abrupt, dry laugh. _Enjoy the rest of your evening._ As if that were possible.

To his dismay, Calliope had returned, eager to spend some time alone with him. Her hands lingered on his chest much too long for his comfort, but he forced a smile.

"Let's go back to my apartment, Finnick," she smiled slowly. "I've got the most comfortable bed."

"Well," Finnick turned on his 'Capitol voice', as Annie called it. "I can't wait to try it out." His stomach churned at his words.

He let her lead the way back to her house, but his mind was fixated on Annie. If he didn't do a good job; if he didn't please the Capitol, she could be in danger. She already was in danger, just by being associated with him.

"Here we are."

And while the woman's lips devoured his own, Finnick could only form one thought in the hazy mess that was his brain.

_Forgive me, Annie._


	8. Chapter 8

Finnick's week at the Capitol seemed to go on forever. Every day, a new client would appear, and Finnick would wonder if he was even making progress at all. He knew that he was one of the more popular victors, but this was the most clients he'd had to deal with in a while.

He missed Annie as he always did. Missed her presence in his arms and the way she scrunched up her nose when she laughed. The freckles that lined her nose, her authenticity. 

He hadn't really thought about ever entering a real relationship while he was working for Snow. The idea of doing what he did with his clients on his own time; well, it wasn't something Finnick was particularly eager to do.

It was different with her. When he was with Annie, it felt like all the pressure was off. He didn't have a role to play; he could just be himself. And he loved that. He craved that honesty in his facade of a life.

Finnick sighed as he dressed for the day. A car was waiting outside, to take him to his next client. He couldn't keep them waiting.

* * *

Much to Finnick's relief, he had gotten through all of his clients. He was finally free to go home.

The train ride back was long. Finnick restlessly glanced out the window as they sped past the fields of grain from District 9 and the bright city lights of District 1.

By the time they reached the beaches of 4, Finnick was drained. He just wanted to go home. Getting off the train, he quickly made his way back towards his house.

"Finn!" At the sound of her voice, Finnick spun around. Annie had been there at the train station the whole time.

"Annie?" He asked, blearily. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to greet you back home," she said. Her bright expression faltered as she took in the dark bags under Finnick's eyes and his deflated posture. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Silently, Annie pulled Finnick into a hug. All he could feel was the Capitol women's immaculately manicured hands on him, their nails puncturing his skin and drawing blood like tiny knife wounds.

Finnick pulled away. "I'm sorry, I—"

Annie drew back, biting her lip. Her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

"Not right now, Annie. I'm sorry."

Without another word, Finnick turned around and walked home.

* * *

It usually took Finnick some time to after he returned from the Capitol to interact with people again. He still felt like he was there, forced into a role he didn't want. Separating his Capitol life from his life in Four was difficult and took some time and solitude. 

Annie, of course, wasn't aware of this.

"Finnick!" She had knocked on his door early the next morning. "Finn, can we talk?"

Stumbling down the stairs, Finnick blinked the sleep from his eyes as he joined Annie in the kitchen. She looked contrite.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

"I was already up," Finnick responded. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to wait until this afternoon," she began, "but I just needed to make sure you were okay. I didn't want to push you, Finn, but I know you've had an awful week. I wanted to help."

Finnick's breath hitched in his throat. She wanted to help. When was the last time somebody saw him as more than a whore? When was the last time somebody actually helped him?

"Annie." He slipped his hand in hers. "Thank you. Really, I mean it. I really did want to see you last night, but I just...well, when I get back I just need to remind myself that I'm not there anymore."

"I understand," she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "And I think I could help with that, if you'll let me."

Finnick gave her a small smile. "I'd like that."

* * *

"Y'know, it'll be too cold to go swimming soon," Finnick pointed out as he and Annie made their way down to the beach.

Annie shrugged and gave a playful smile. "So, we'll swim in our winter clothes."

"If that's what you want."

They leaned in for a kiss, right there on the shoreline. Finnick felt blissfully happy. His heart felt light as he pulled Annie closer.

"What do you want to do today?" Annie asked after they'd pulled away. Finnick gave a nonchalant shrug.

"I just want to spend time with you."

"We can't spend all day on the beach, Finn," Annie grinned. "Unless you'd be happy just sitting here for hours."

Finnick laughed. "Let's take advantage of the warm weather while we can, then." Annie let out a shriek of surprise as Finnick pulled her to her feet. Together, they ran into the water.

"Finnick!" She splashed him with water giddily as soon as she had recovered her bearings.

"What?" He asked, giving Annie a playful shove. "You said we couldn't just sit on the beach all day."

"I did say that, didn't I?" Annie asked fondly.

"You brought this on yourself."

The two laughed as they sat down in the water. Finnick smiled contently as he felt the pressure rise from his shoulders. He felt relaxed; he felt calm.

Glancing over at Annie, he noticed the way a few stray curls had come out of her braid. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. Finnick couldn't remember a time when he had seen anything so beautiful.

Annie let out a relaxed sigh as Finnick's hand slipped into her own.

"I wish I could live in this moment forever," Annie said, looking out at the water.

"So do I, Annie," Finnick nodded. "So do I."

* * *

To both Finnick's and Annie's delight, the couple was able to spend some time together in the privacy of their homes. They still weren't allowed to be seen in public, but they did discover that majority of the district really didn't care enough to make their relationship status known.

"Hey, Annie?" Finnick asked one evening as they sat on the couch in Finnick's home. "Do any of your friends or family know about us?"

Annie hesitated. "Not yet. I haven't told my parents."

Finnick nodded, his eyes downcast. "That's probably for the best."

"What? Finn, what's wrong?" Annie asked, concern laced in her voice. Finnick sighed.

"I just didn't know if your parents would approve of you seeing...someone like me," Finnick explained slowly.

Annie heaved a sigh as she turned to face him. "They just don't want me to get hurt. Besides, people might talk if my parents find out, and I don't want to put you in that position. I know who you are, and that's what matters."

"I get it. You can tell them when you're ready," he assured her with a small smile. 

"I will tell them," she responded. "They'll know eventually, and they can get to know you. They wouldn't disapprove if they knew who you really were."

He wanted to protest, say that he wasn't sure who he really was, but Annie stopped him. 

"And before you say it, because I know you're thinking it," she smiled, "they will love you. The real you, no matter who you are."

Finnick smiled and nodded, feeling relieved. Annie always knew how to make him feel better. He glanced over at her, and she smiled back. Finnick didn't want to lose her.

And so, he decided, he would do his best to make their relationship work.


	9. Chapter 9

Winter was quickly approaching, as was the upcoming Victory Tour. The Victory Tour was placed right in between each Hunger Games. Because it was such a Capitol-affiliated event, Finnick knew he would be expected to join in the festivities.

Luckily, he didn't have to go to the Capitol that year. The victor was a muscular and slightly savage boy from District 2, so Finnick wouldn't be expected to attend the Capitol party at the end of the tour.

However, much to his dismay, the Victory Tour meant that Capitol citizens would be coming to District 4. This meant that he would be expected to see clients while they were there, but also that he couldn't spend any time with Annie over those few days.

He was currently sitting on the beach, enjoying the fresh air before their district would be full of Capitol people. It was too cold for swimming now, but Finnick still enjoyed time on the beach.

"Finn!" He grinned as Annie joined him. "I've been looking for you. I checked your house, but you weren't home, so I figured you'd be here."

"You guessed right," Finnick smiled. "Why were you looking for me?"

Annie's smile faltered. "Well, the Victory Tour's coming up. I figured that meant we won't be able to spend time together."

"Yeah. Capitol citizens will be here, and we can't risk it. I'm sorry, Annie." Finnick sighed. "I'll also be expected to see clients while I'm here."

"What?" Annie asked sharply, her mouth agape. "Here? In District 4?"

Finnick gave a solemn nod.

"But Finn—that's not fair! You aren't even in the Capitol!"

"I know." Finnick absentmindedly picked up a handful of sand and watched it slip through his fingers. "But I think we both know nothing the Capitol does is really fair."

Annie sighed. "I wish you didn't have to do this."

"Trust me, I wish that every day."

They sat in a calm silence for a while. Finnick liked how they could merely sit there and just enjoy each others company. Although they were both lost in their own thoughts, it was comforting to know that Annie was sitting right beside him.

"Just, while you're with them," Annie began, breaking the silence. "Wear the rope bracelet and remember me, okay?"

At the mention of the bracelet, Finnick fiddled with it on his wrist. He hadn't taken it off since Annie had given it to him.

"Of course."

* * *

The days leading up to the victor's arrival in Four were miserable. Finnick and Annie had, reluctantly, decided to part ways a few days before the tour started to avoid arousing suspicion. Aside from a few times they'd passed each other in the street, Finnick and Annie had not seen each other since their conversation a few days before.

Finnick heaved a sigh as his prep team eagerly knocked on his door to get him ready for the cameras. In just a few hours, he would have to turn on his Capitol persona.

"Finnick!" His prep team had entered his house in a burst of color and sound. "Oh, there you are! Looking lovely as ever!"

Finnick gave his prep team a flirty smile as they set to work.

"You're all done, Finnick!" One of the members of his prep team, a woman with a bright blue wig and silvery tattoos up and down her arms, announced.

He glanced in the mirror. His skin seemed to be glowing, and his usually plain hair was enhanced by seashells woven in.

"I can always count on you all to make me beautiful," Finnick smirked as he flashed another smile. His prep team flushed at the praise. "I've got to get going, but I'll see you all at the after party!"

He joined the rest of his district in the Town Square, where the speech will take place. His eyes automatically scanned the crowd for Annie, before he remembered he wasn't supposed to even know her.

This was going to be a very lonely day.

The brutish victor from Two started his speech about how generous the Capitol had been, and Finnick knew he'd be expected to act. Giving respectful applause, he offered a smile at one of the cameras.

Oh, how he missed the beach right now.

* * *

The party in the Justice Building after the speech was overwhelming, to say the least. He didn't have many friends there, although he had to act as though he knew everyone and absolutely enjoyed their company.

He subconsciously fiddled with his rope bracelet from Annie, as he had done countless other times that day. Finnick wondered what she was doing now. Did she stay for the party, or was she back at home? Maybe she was on the beach, staring out at the ocean. Did she miss him as much as he missed her?

His thoughts were interrupted by a high pitched, excited squeal; one that could only belong to a Capitol woman.

"Finnick Odair!" Finnick turned around to see a middle-aged woman in an extravagant Capitol dress. In an intense flurry of motion and color, her arms were around him. "You look even better in person, Finnick!"

Plastering a smile on his face, Finnick played along. "You don't look too bad, yourself. May I ask your name?"

The woman beamed and stuck out her hand. "Lucinda Corrine."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucinda." He took her hand and kissed it, and Lucinda giggled. Finnick ignored the bile that rose in his throat as he continued to smile and talk.

Eventually, he knew, this woman would get tired of talking. She'd want to go somewhere more private, do something more intimate. Finnick knew how this worked. He had done it all before, after all.

He wanted to just leave; he wanted to go home. Back to Annie. But he knew what kind of consequences there would be if he were to leave without taking any clients.

Annie was better off missing him than dead.

Finnick felt as though he might throw up as he let Lucinda lead him to her bed. Next time he did this, it would be the same situation. A different woman would lead him to bed, and he'd have to pretend like she was his everything; just for one night. And then he would do it again.

He contented himself with the knowledge that the night would be over soon.


	10. Chapter 10

As winter melted into spring, Finnick's mood got considerably better. Aside from a few trips to the Capitol, he was mostly happy. He also discovered with delight that spring was Annie's favorite season, so they enjoyed spending lots of time together outside.

"Annie!" Finnick called from where he was standing next to a patch of flowers. "C'mere, you'll like this!"

"What is it?" Annie stepped out from behind a rose bush, where her adroit fingers were making a flower crown.

"Aren't these flowers pretty?" Finnick asked, smiling. He could tell by Annie's smile and bright eyes that she thought the same.

"They're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you, though," he said. Annie's face flushed.

Finnick knelt down and picked one of the flowers. Grinning, he pulled back a piece of Annie's hair as he tucked the flower behind her ear. "There."

"Thanks, Finn, I love it," Annie laughed. She pulled him in for a quick kiss.

"You want to go to the beach today, Ann?"

Annie gave a light chuckle. "I always want to go to the beach, Finnick."

Finnick smiled. "Then lead the way."

Annie laughed and took his hand, leading him all the way to the beach. 

To their relief, the beach was almost empty, so the two had freedom to be affectionate. Finnick and Annie played on the beach all day, only taking a break to eat lunch.

Yes, it went without a doubt that Finnick was happy.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Finnick and Annie frequented the beach. The weather was quickly heating up, so the couple was often found in the water. Today, however, they were walking along the shoreline, looking for seashells and talking.

"It's so hot outside," Annie groaned as she brushed her hair out of her face. "I swear, it's getting warmer every day."

Finnick merely laughed as Annie looked at him.

"How are you not bothered by the heat, Finn?" she asked, clearly astounded.

"I think you're forgetting that I grew up on this beach, Annie," Finnick reminded her. "I'm used to the heat."

Annie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Not fair."

"Mm, well, maybe we just need to go swimming," Finnick grinned. "Y'know, to cool off."

"Not yet," Annie chastised. "We're supposed to be looking for seashells, remember? How many have you got?"

Finnick shrugged and glanced down at the handful of seashells he had collected during the walk. They really were quite pretty. "These would make a good necklace," he remarked nonchalantly.

Annie glanced over to him to inspect the shells. "Yes, they would."

Finnick grinned as he formulated a plan. "Ann, you have any string?"

To Finnick's surprise, Annie pulled out a piece of string. "I use it to tie my hair back when I forget a hair band at home," she explained, laughing at Finnick's bemused expression.

"Well, thank you," he smiled and accepted the string. Within a few minutes, he had made a necklace out of the seashells and string. With a proud smile, he presented it to Annie. "For you."

"Oh, Finn," Annie beamed as he put the necklace on her neck. "I love it, thank you."

Satisfied, Finnick intertwined his finger's with Annie's. Hand in hand, the two walked home.

* * *

"Tomorrow's reaping day."

The words were spoken in the stifling heat of the summer. Finnick and Mags were sitting on Mags' couch, avoiding the heat and blazing sun outside. 

Mags merely nodded at his statement.

"Annie's eighteen," Finnick said with an unusual urgency. "She's still eligible. What'll we do if she's reaped?"

Finnick knew that Snow would have Annie reaped to punish him. The president was not above that.

"We get her out," Mags said. "Have faith, boy."

Finnick gave a dry laugh. "Just one more year. One more reaping, and she's safe."

Somehow, he wasn't quite sure that was true. Mags only nodded and squeezed his hand. There was no point in stressing about the future, he knew, but he couldn't stop the pit of anxiety growing in his stomach as reaping day drew closer.

"I would never be able to face her again if she were reaped because of me." Finnick sighed. "She'd never forgive me."

Mags shook her head. "No. She loves you. She hasn't been reaped yet."

That was true. Annie hadn't been reaped yet. But it was only a matter of time. Deciding there wasn't much else he could do, Finnick said goodbye to Mags and returned home.

He would have assumed everything to be alright if not for the overwhelming and saccharine stench of roses flooding from the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath as if he were preparing himself for an attack, Finnick walked into the kitchen to find a letter on the table. Sitting idly next to it was a singular white rose.

Finnick felt the blood drain from his face as he picked up the letter.

_Mr. Odair,_   
_As you are aware, the r_ _eaping for the 70th Hunger Games will take place tomorrow. Please be sure to perform your best both there and in the Capitol while you are mentoring._

_On a more serious note, I have received a call from an influential Capitol citizen claiming that you did not perform well enough to meet their expectations. As we have already discussed, it is in both of our best interests that you do well._

_It would be such a pity for you to have broken that promise, Mr. Odair. You should know by now what happens when you don't follow instructions._

_I do hope the_ _r_ _eaping goes successfully tomorrow. Give my regards to Miss Cresta, will you?_

_Coriolanus Snow_   
_President of Panem_

Finnick couldn't breathe. He felt his chest tighten and the room spin around him as he fell backward onto a chair, gasping for breath. His suspicions had been confirmed.

Annie was going to be reaped tomorrow, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

All because some Capitol citizen wasn't satisfied with him. Annie was going to die from his mistakes. This was his fault, he knew that. Why couldn't he have just followed directions?

He didn't know why Snow was choosing to do this now. Why take away one of his main sources of leverage for something as small as disappointing one person? Letting Annie die would break him, Snow knew that, but why throw the opportunity away so carelessly? 

Of course, nothing Snow did was careless. His movements were slow and deliberate, perfectly calculated situations to cause the most amount of pain possible, all while still benefiting himself. If there was one thing Finnick admired about Snow, it was his ability to manipulate events and emotions. The man was a sadist, but he was also a brilliant strategist, which was perhaps even worse. 

He thought of Annie and her overall goodness. She didn't deserve to die this way. But she doesn't deserve the life of a victor either, so no matter what, she was condemned. 

Finnick felt his stomach churn as he emptied the contents of his stomach into the sink.


	11. Chapter 11

Finnick woke the next morning abruptly. Drenched in a cold sweat, his heart pounding and his hands clammy, it was safe to guess he had a nightmare. Accepting the fact that he wasn't going to be able to get more sleep, he climbed out of bed and made his way downstairs.

It wasn't quite light outside yet; the sun was still rising. Finnick stepped outside into the crisp morning air and automatically made his way to the beach.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, just watching the waves roll in to the shoreline as the sun rose, eventually illuminating the water.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Startled, Finnick turned around. Annie had sat down beside him. Annie, who didn't know yet she was about to be reaped. Annie, who would be boarding the train to her death in just a few short hours. Annie, who was still wearing the seashell necklace he had given her.

"What are you doing up so early, Finn?" she asked, still unaware of the terror she would be facing shortly.

"I couldn't sleep," he replied vaguely. Not a lie.

"Oh."

An indescribable tension hung in the air between them. They both knew what today was, but Finnick felt even worse than usual.

"Finnick?" Annie had been working on braiding her hair.

"Yeah?"

"We've got to go now, or we'll be late for the reaping."

The reaping. Of course.

* * *

Finnick took his place next to Mags on stage. He did try to look confident, for the sake of the cameras which were undoubtedly focused on him. He gave a weak smile but his thoughts drifted back to Annie.

Finnick had located her in the crowd what felt like hours ago, but it had probably only been minutes. She was in the front, among the other eighteen-year-olds. She caught his eye, and gave him a weak smile.

Finally, Electra walked on stage. She gave the usual speech, but Finnick wasn't listening. His mind was elsewhere.

"Ladies first!" The escort's chipper voice almost made Finnick's ears hurt. He drew in a sharp intake of breath as he waited for the name.

"Annie Cresta!"

He knew it was coming, but hearing her name still felt like a punch to the gut. Time seemed to stand still as Annie slowly made her way up to the stage. Her hands were trembling slightly and she looked as though she were on the verge of tears. Finnick couldn't blame her; his head pounded with the effort to hold back his own tears.

"There, there, come up here, darling," Electra remained smiling as she beckoned Annie forward, supporting her on her shaking feet. "Such an honor, isn't it?"

Annie gave a shaky smile in return.

Electra, who was oblivious to both Finnick's and Annie's terror, continued. "Now, for the boys."

"Griffin Belleville!"

Finnick watched as a stocky, blond boy made his way to the stage. He looked to be about eighteen, with a confident smile and a natural charisma.

Annie and Griffin shook hands, and then it was time to board the train. Finnick was a mentor, so he and Mags had to board the train first and wait for the tributes.

The few minutes of waiting while Annie and Griffin said goodbye were agony. All Finnick wanted to do was gather Annie in his arms and keep her safe forever, but that was no longer possible. She was going into the arena, and may not be coming back out.

"Finnick!"

Before he could register what had happened, Annie boarded the train and launched herself into his arms. He wrapped her into a tight hug. The two clung to each other, and didn't pull away until a few minutes later.

"Annie, I'm so sorry." He wanted to say more, but those words were all he could get out over the lump in his throat. He lowered his voice. "I'm so sorry, but we can't do this here."

"You're right," Annie sniffled as she wiped away a stray tear. "Yeah, we should just..."

She slowly extracted herself from his arms, leaving Finnick feeling cold and barren.

"Well," Griffin said. Finnick and Annie sharply turned to him; in their haste to be with each other, they had forgotten he was there. "You two obviously know each other."

"Finnick's my..." Annie trailed off, unsure. "Yeah, we know each other."

The group sat down at the table with Mags to talk strategy. Finnick and Annie were holding hands, as if they were both afraid to let go.

It was merely a stroke of pure luck that Electra nor any other Capitol citizen had witnessed his heartfelt moment with Annie; he knew he'd get in trouble should the truth slip out.

"So, Griffin, have you been trained?" Finnick asked, trying to draw attention away from him and Annie.

"No," Griffin began. "I'm no Career, but I'm not bad with throwing knives."

Mags nodded in approval. "Good. Knives are easy to find."

Finnick felt as though he should ask Annie something now, just to keep it from being so tense. Not that there was any point to that; he already knew her so well. They talked for a few more minutes before Griffin decided to rest in his room for a while.

Mags stood up and gently squeezed Finnick's knee before doing the same.

"Finnick, I can't do this!" It was just the two of them alone in the room, and Annie broke down. "I can't win. I don't have any fighting skills, or survival skills, I can't kill people—"

"Annie, it's okay," Finnick assured her, although the words were probably more for his benefit anyway. "I won't let you die in there. I'm going to get you out of that arena."

Annie just stared at him as tears dripped from her eyes. "You can't guarantee that, Finn. You don't know what'll happen."

Finnick took her hands in his, a few tears of his own spilling out. "I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to get you out of there alive."

"Promise?" Her voice was nothing but a strangled whisper through her sobs. Finnick pulled her close.

"Until the very end."

They clung to each other for a few moments before Annie spoke again, her voice surprisingly unwavering. "I love you, Finnick."

His breathed hitched in his throat. Did he hear that correctly?

"I love you, too, Annie."

In District 4, it was a wedding tradition for the couple to put salt water on each other's lips before the kiss. Annie's lips tasted of salt, but this wasn't District 4, and they weren't getting married. Her lips tasted salty because she was crying, and so was he, but they were crying together, so it was enough. It had to be. 


	12. Chapter 12

The train pulled into the Capitol a few hours later. Finnick still felt on the verge of panic, but he knew he had to pull himself together.

"Alright, you two," Finnick said. "In just a few minutes, you'll meet with your stylists and prep teams. Just go along with whatever they do, it'll be easier. They'll help get you ready for the tribute parade. Once you're ready, meet back up at the chariots and we'll talk presentation."

Annie nodded, though Finnick could tell she was nervous. Once Griffin had left, he gave her a kiss and some words of encouragement.

"You'll be okay, Ann," he whispered, his voice muffled by her hair. "Go with them. I'll see you in a few hours."

Reluctantly, Annie stepped away from Finnick and went to join her prep team. Finnick watched as she walked further away.

"She'll be okay, boy." Mags stepped up behind him. "Go."

Finnick took one last glance in Annie's direction before he went to join his own prep team.

* * *

As they were instructed, Annie and Griffin met Finnick at the District 4 chariot before the parade. Annie was dressed in a sea green strapless dress that accented her eyes. Her curls were clean and shiny, with seashells woven in. To his delight, she was still wearing the seashell necklace.

"Alright, you two are ready," Finnick said, trying not to draw to much attention to his and Annie's relationship. "Let's talk about how you're going to present yourselves."

"Why does it really matter?" Griffin asked sarcastically. "I mean, we're just going to die, anyway."

Finnick narrowed his eyes. "It matters because from the moment you're reaped, you're playing the game. And if you don't start playing the game right now, you're going to be dead real quick."

Annie flinched, and Finnick regretted his harsh choice of words.

"The important thing is to play the crowd," Finnick said. "Act like this is everything you've ever dreamed of and more. They'll be cheering for you, so be sure to wave and smile. Look like this is the best moment of your life."

"I can't believe we're doing this," Annie said nervously, fiddling with her necklace. "What if I fall off?"

"You won't fall off, Ann," Finnick assured her.

"How do you do this every year?" Annie asked, her voice higher due to panic. "Smile and wave at them like everything's okay."

Finnick paused. "They see what they want to see. They'll like you if you're strong and brave without being to savage, but still sweet enough to be likable. You can get up there and cry, but they'll just see a scared little girl who can't handle herself. They don't understand what this is like, Annie. It really is just like a show to them, and the characters that stick around the longest are the ones the fans like."

Annie gave a few shaky breaths. "Okay. You're right. I'll see you soon?"

Finnick nodded. "But you do have to get on the chariot now. Good luck."

Finnick watched as Annie and Griffin rode the chariot in the parade. They did exactly as he said; Annie looked radiant and absolutely overjoyed to be there. She smiled and waved just as she was told. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as Finnick thought.

The crowd loved them. They cheered for Annie and Griffin. It made Finnick slightly sick at how they were parading children around then sending them to die, but now was not the time to be thinking like that.

It was time to play the game.

* * *

Finnick couldn't remember a time when he had been so invested in a tribute. He spent hours getting sponsors and talking strategy with Mags. He needed Annie to get out of there alive.

As soon as they had arrived at the Training Center, Annie went to go take a shower. He wanted to speak with her, to hold her, but he gave her space. Griffin, though, stayed in the living room with Finnick.

"Finnick." Griffin sat down next to him, getting his attention.

"Yes?"

"You love her." His statement caught Finnick by surprise.

"I—" he tried to protest. He wasn't sure if it would be inappropriate for a mentor and a tribute to be in a relationship, but he didn't want Griffin to go around spreading the word. "You shouldn't go around spreading what you know nothing about."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Griffin assured him. So then what did he want? "I just wanted to let you know that I plan on keeping Annie alive in the arena."

"What?" This wasn't what he was expecting to hear. "What do you mean?"

"You love her and she loves you," Griffin said. "She needs to come home. Annie has something to come home for. I don't. I don't have any reason left to live. I don't need to win. But she does."

Finnick was astounded. "So, what are you saying?"

Griffin took a deep breath. "I'm saying I'll protect her. I'll keep her alive to the best of my ability. I want my last act to be something good, something worthwhile. I want to help while I still can."

Finnick was struck at once by how good this boy was. This eighteen-year-old boy who was willing to die for Annie in the arena, just to do something good.

"Griffin, that's..." Finnick shook his head, lost for words. Eventually, he settled on, "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure."

Without another word, Griffin stood up and made his way to his bedroom, leaving Finnick alone with his thoughts.

His plan all along had been to get Annie out of the arena alive. It seemed that, now, he would have some extra help. And for that, Finnick couldn't be more thankful.

* * *

The next morning was the first day of training. Electra, as usual, was the first one up. She was eager to go over the schedule for the next week as she happily chatted with anyone who would listen.

Finnick came to the dining room and sat down next to Mags. She gave him a small smile and passed him a roll.

"Oh, Finnick, good, there you are!" Electra started chatting about the schedule and getting sponsors while Finnick waited for Annie to arrive.

A few minutes later, Annie and Griffin made their way into the dining room. They were both dressed in their training outfits, and Annie looked slightly green.

"Okay, you two, we haven't got much time until training starts," Finnick started talking as soon as they sat down. "The Careers will be focused on weapons, but don't let that fool you. Survival skills are just as important as fighting. A tribute who died of starvation is just as dead as a tribute who got stabbed."

They both nodded, looking increasingly more nervous. "And try to make some alliances. The Careers may not want you since neither of you have been trained, so just stick together."

"Okay," Annie breathed. "It's almost time to go. Any last minute advice?"

"Learn something new, but don't be afraid to show off what you're good at."

With one last reassuring smile, Finnick watched as Annie and Griffin walked to the elevator, and the doors closed behind them.


	13. Chapter 13

"Alright, everyone," Electra smiled cheerfully as they all sat around the breakfast table that morning. "We've got a big day ahead of us. Today, you'll have your private sessions with the Gamemakers. Tomorrow, you'll prep for the interview during the day and do the interview during the evening. After that, you'll be in the arena!" She was practically bouncing with excitement. 

Of course, the undeniable thrill of sending children to slaughter. 

Finnick glanced over at Annie, who was shuffling the food around on her plate. "It might help to actually eat that, you know."

Annie looked up. "What? Oh, sorry. I guess I'm just nervous."

"It's fine. Do you guys know what you're doing for your private sessions?"

Annie shrugged while Griffin flashed a confident smile. "I'll throw knives," he said. Finnick nodded in approval.

"Annie?"

"I—I don't really know what I'm going to do," Annie said, sounding worried. Finnick wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be fine, but he couldn't do that in front of everyone.

"Okay. Well, we know you can tie knots," he began. "So you could make a net out of the rope."

"Yeah, and do what with it?" The tension in her voice displayed just how petrified she was. "The Gamemakers aren't going to be impressed by a net."

"You never know," Finnick smiled. "People sure were impressed when I won using nets. You'll be okay, Annie. I promise."

That was the last thing Finnick was able to say to her before Electra ushered the tributes to the elevator for their private sessions. Finnick did feel a little nervous for Annie, but he was confident that she knew what she was doing.

Annie would be fine for now.

* * *

The District 4 team met in the living room a few hours later, when Annie and Griffin had gotten back from their private sessions. Griffin looked proud, and Annie just looked relieved that it was over.

"How'd it go?" Finnick asked as he fought the urge to wrap Annie in a hug.

"It went okay," she shrugged. "I made a net and designed a trap."

"Good, that's good!" Finnick smiled. "I told you you'd make use of a net. Griffin?"

"Mine went well, too." He smiled as he sat down to watch the television. "All of my throws were accurate." Finnick and Mags both nodded their approval. It seemed that things were going well for them.

Not long after the tributes had gotten back, Caesar Flickerman's voice filled the room. He began to announce the training scores, along with his own commentary about who he thinks will win.

"And from District 4," Caesar said. "We have Annie Cresta, with a score of 7!"

The room cheered as Annie was swept up in hug from Finnick. 7 wasn't a bad score. It was a good enough score to get sponsors but not good enough to put a target on your back.

"Congratulations, Annie!"

The room quieted down again to hear Griffin's score. Another round of clapping ensued after it was announced that he got a score of 8. Another good score.

"Well, would you look at that," Electra smiled as she held up a glass of champagne. "Two good scores! Now before you two leave, I wanted to discuss how you were going to present yourself during interviews."

Griffin and Annie nodded, waiting for her to continue. Electra smiled brightly and turned to Annie.

"Well, dear, you're such a pretty girl. I was thinking maybe a seductive angle for you."

Finnick's blood ran cold. Before he could stop himself, he said, "No."

Electra looked at him quizzically. "No?"

Finnick scanned his brain, trying to come up with something to justify his outburst. He couldn't say that he didn't want Annie to end up like him without getting trouble. 

Mags came to his rescue. "No, she's all wrong for that look. She'd do better with something sweeter, more innocent."

"Perhaps you're right," Electra said, sounding convinced. "She certainly does look innocent."

Annie shifted uncomfortably. She and Griffin exchanged awkward glances.

"Electra," Finnick began extravagantly, looping an arm around her shoulders. "I think you're brilliant, but I do believe that the kids should be getting some rest now. We can discuss style and presentation as much as you want tomorrow. How does that sound?"

"I suppose you're right, Finnick," she giggled. Turning to Annie and Griffin, she said, "Remember, you will be representing your district tomorrow! You best get some sleep so you can look your best!"

Annie gave Finnick a quick goodnight hug before they parted ways to get some sleep.

* * *

Finnick woke up early the next day. He went to the dining room to find that nobody else was up yet, so he made a quick plate of breakfast and sat down to eat. A few minutes later, Annie joined him.

"Couldn't sleep?" He asked her. She shook her head.

"I'm just nervous about the interviews," Annie said. "I just don't feel ready."

Finnick shrugged. "I can help you, Annie. That's what today is for. We'll come up with a way to present you and Griffin. Something that will help you get sponsors. It'll be okay."

"I guess," Annie said as she made herself a plate. "When do we start practicing?"

"Whenever you want."

Annie smiled; one of her first genuine smiles since she'd been reaped. Finnick smiled back and held her hand as she ate her breakfast.

"Ready?" Finnick asked as soon as she was done. Annie nodded.

"Let's do it."

Finnick led Annie to a relatively empty room with a few chairs to practice the interview.

"Okay, first we need to come up with a persona for you to display," Finnick began. "We talked about it a bit yesterday."

Annie laughed softly. "More like Electra talked at me."

"Well, that's Electra for you."

After a couple more moments of joking around, Finnick began to talk. 

"We talked about doing something sweet. It has to be something that the crowd will love. I was thinking something along the lines of you being so grateful to be here. Starstruck, almost. Everything is so wonderful and you have loved every minute of it. There's nothing the Capitol loves more than praise."

"Okay," Annie nodded in agreement. "I think I can manage that. Can we practice some questions?"

"Of course. I'll be Caesar," Finnick smiled. "Ready?"

Annie nodded.

"So, Miss Cresta," Finnick began, in a passable imitation of Caesar Flickerman. "You've been in the Capitol for a few days now. How are you finding everything so far?"

"Well, Caesar," Annie giggled. "I just love it here. Everything is so wonderful and bright. I've loved seeing the fashion as well. It's just indescribable, really."

"Indeed it is," Finnick grinned as he impersonated Caesar. "Now, tell me about home. Do you have anyone waiting for you back home?"

Annie hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "I have my parents waiting back home. I know they want me to win, and I want to win for them."

"See, Annie, you're doing great," Finnick assured her, breaking character. "I do have to warn you, though. Caesar will probably ask about your relationship with me."

"What am I supposed to say about that?" Annie asked, clearly caught off guard.

"Say whatever you're comfortable with," Finnick said. "Whatever you think will get sponsors. I know you can do it."

Annie nodded as Finnick pulled her close. "Thanks for all your help, Finn."

"Of course, Annie. Any time."

* * *

Finnick and Annie met backstage before her interview. Annie looked radiant in a floor-length blue dress. She did seem nervous, and Finnick hoped she would still be able to do well.

"Where's Griffin?" Annie asked anxiously. "Don't you have to talk with him?"

Finnick shook his head. "Griffin already has his interview all figured out. I'm here for you, Annie. Any last minute questions before you go on?"

Annie shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Alright. You'll do great, Ann," he said. Finnick gave Annie one last quick hug before her name was called.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Annie Cresta!"

Annie walked on the stage with a smile on her face. Finnick watched intently as she answered all of his questions about her home life and arena strategy smoothly. Annie was good at captivating the crowd, Finnick noticed.

"Now, Annie, tell me," Caesar leaned in. "Finnick Odair is your mentor. What is that like?"

"Well," Annie began slowly. "He's definitely taught me a lot. He's a good mentor. I'm very lucky to have his help." The crowd cheered as the camera's focused on him. He flashed a bright smile and watched Annie complete her interview.

As soon as Annie got off the stage, Finnick walked up to her. "You did great, Annie. That interview is sure to get you sponsors."

Annie smiled as they turned their attention to Griffin's interview. Finnick watched as Griffin smiled and charmed the crowd.

As soon as both interviews were over, the District 4 team went back to their floor in the Training Center. Finnick was exhausted, and he could tell Annie was, too.

"Finn?" She muttered sleepily as she climbed into bed that night. "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course, Annie."

He climbed into bed next to her and held her close, trying to ignore the fact that this may be his last chance to do that.

* * *

The morning of the Games was a nerve-racking one for everyone. Annie was close to tears all morning as she clung on to Finnick. Finnick was in the same state.

When it came time for Finnick and Annie to separate so she could get on the hovercraft to go into the arena, she was a mess.

"Annie," he consoled her. "Breathe. It'll be okay. I'll be helping you the whole way through. Griffin will be helping you in the arena. You have your necklace to remember me. It'll be okay, Ann. We'll bring you home."

"Finn," Annie cried as she clung onto his shirt. Her prep team started to gently pull her away. Annie leaned in for one last kiss, and Finnick held her. "I love you, Finnick."

"I love you, too. I'll see you soon. Be strong for me, Annie."

And just like that, she was gone.

Finnick made his way to the Mentors' Lounge, where the mentors watched the Games and collected sponsorship money. The other mentors were already there when he sat down.

His eyes were glued to the screen as he searched for Annie's pedestal. He located her just as the gong went off, indicating that it was time for the tributes to run.

Let the Games begin.


	14. Chapter 14

Finnick spent the next few days glued to the television screen, watching Annie in the arena. He only left to get her sponsors or to sleep, and even then, he was reluctant to leave.

To her credit, however, Annie was doing well in the arena. She had allied with both Griffin and a sixteen-year-old girl from District 8 called Evelyn. They had managed to avoid the Careers so far, but it was only a matter of time before they were found. Finnick was doing everything in his power to help her out.

He knew the other mentors were talking; they had never seen him so attached to a tribute before, or so obsessed with their survival. It wouldn't be long before they figured out what happened.

Still, he had more important things to worry about.

"Mr. Odair?" Finnick turned around to find a man standing in the doorway. "You have a client tonight, Mr. Odair. I'll be your driver."

A client? He couldn't leave now, not when Annie needed him so desperately. How could he have forgotten that he'd be expected to see clients during the Games?

"There's a reason the tributes have two mentors, Odair," Chaff scoffed as he stared intently at the screen in front of him, displaying the whereabouts of his one remaining tribute. "Mags will look after your girl while you're gone."

Finnick knew he was right; Mags was a perfectly capable mentor. She had been doing it for almost sixty years, after all.

"It's time to go, Mr. Odair."

He turned to Mags, who gave him a reassuring pat on the knee. "Look after her."

"She will be fine, boy," Mags said. "You go."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Finnick followed the driver outside.

* * *

By the time Finnick returned, it was early morning in the arena. To his immense relief, neither Annie nor her allies had been injured or in danger while he'd been gone.

He glanced around the room at the other mentors. Cashmere and Gloss from District 1 still had both their tributes, and Enobaria and Brutus from 2 only had their female left. Those three tributes made up the Career alliance.

"She's alright," Mags said as Finnick sat down next to her, at the District 4 station. Finnick nodded as he took a deep breath. She was fine.

He watched carefully as Annie, Griffin, and Evelyn ate breakfast. It had been a while since anyone had died, he noticed, which meant the Gamemakers were bound to interfere any time now. Unfortunately, there was no way to tell what they would do.

"I'm betting they light something on fire," Seeder, a District 11 mentor, declared where she sat with Chaff at the District 11 station. "There hasn't been any bloodshed in days, and they want a show. They'll use fire."

"I don't think they'll need to." Cecelia, the mentor from District 8, leaned forward as she watched the screen. "Look."

Finnick's heart sank as he watched the Careers approach Annie. He didn't say a word as they taunted the group. He drew in a sharp intake of breath as the fight started.

Finnick was surprised when Griffin was able to kill the female from 2.

"Looks like you two are out," Finnick said. The mentors from 2 glared at him.

He watched Annie let out a choked sob as the male from 1 speared Evelyn right in the heart. She fell without a sound.

Cecelia raised a trembling hand to her mouth as she watched with horror.

Finally, Annie and Griffin were able to get away from the Careers, but not without a cost. Griffin had a bad cut on his arm from where a Career had nicked him, and Annie's leg had been injured as she tried to get to Evelyn.

"We need something to help their injuries," Finnick said. To both his relief and disappointment, they had only enough money to send their tributes some bandages.

They would have to suffice for now.

* * *

Although he had become rather accustomed to the gripping anxiety that Annie could die at any moment, Finnick still couldn't take his eyes off the screen. He watched intently as Annie and Griffin had a conversation.

"We need to find some shelter," Annie was saying. Griffin nodded his agreement. The two were rather battered and beaten up, and Finnick knew some rest would do them some good.

"Do you think that cave over there is safe?" Griffin pointed to a cave in front of them. Finnick hadn't even noticed it was there.

"It should be fine for now," Annie said as she and Griffin made their way inside.

Finnick breathed a sigh of relief. They had found a place to rest. All Annie had to do now was outlast anyone else; as long as the Careers didn't find them, Annie could come home.

"How many people are left?" Annie asked once they were safely inside.

"I think it's just us, both tributes from 1, and the boy from 5," Griffin said thoughtfully. "So there's only five of us left."

Finnick watched as Annie and Griffin sat in silence for a while, getting some rest. To Finnick's relief, Griffin kept watch to allow Annie some time to sleep.

Things went smoothly for a while as the two hid in the cave, but he knew the Gamemakers wouldn't want to go long without bloodshed.

He was right.

Annie was asleep when it happened. Griffin was keeping watch, although they were both tired. He didn't even notice the quiet footsteps approaching until he was face to face with the two remaining Careers.

"Annie!" Griffin shouted, trying to wake Annie up. He was doing the best he could to hold off the Careers, but he was no match for two people trained to kill. He stood gallantly in front of the Careers, shielding Annie from danger. "Annie, run!"

But Annie didn't run. She stood there, in shock, with her mouth opened in horror. She watched, paralyzed, as the female from 1 swung her sword and cut Griffin's head clean off. His body fell to the ground and Annie let out a strangled whimper as his head rolled over to her feet.

A flash of gratitude interrupted Finnick's horror, for Griffin had sacrificed his life for Annie.

"Shit, Odair," Brutus said gruffly. "Your girl's gonna lose it."

Finnick watched with increasing horror as Annie clamped her hands over her ears and let out a shrill scream as she tore off into the woods.


	15. Chapter 15

The next few days were agony. Finnick watched, helpless, as Annie's mind began to deteriorate. Her eyes had a glazed over and vacant look, and she often stared at nothing for a few minutes before continuing what she was doing.

With both of her allies dead, it was up to Annie to fight off the remaining tributes. She hadn't done any fighting or gotten injured since Griffin had died for her.

Finnick's eyes stayed glued to the screen. It was hard watching Griffin die, but it was perhaps even harder watching Annie's mind break down. He couldn't help but feel like his mind was breaking along with Annie's.

There were only four tributes left; Annie had a chance. The pair from 1 were definitely formidable, but Finnick knew Annie had to come home. She would come home.

"Relax, boy," Mags' garbled voice brought his attention back to reality. "She will be fine."

"She has to make it out," Finnick never took his eyes off the screen. Mags just nodded.

He glanced over to Cashmere and Gloss, who were busy watching their tributes. Could Annie beat two Careers? Two people who had trained their entire lives for this moment? She couldn't fight, not with her mind in such a state. Finnick's stomach churned unpleasantly as he realized Annie was alone and defenseless inside of the arena.

He supposed he should be grateful for what happened next.

Water started seeping down the hill in the woods, an increasing stream. Annie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion but she had enough sense to find somewhere dry to hide. The other tributes had the same idea, all attempting to escape the wave of water that had begun to flood the arena. 

Apparently, the Gamemakers needed some action. What better way to get action than to flood the dam in the arena?

This situation was made for Annie. She could swim. All she had to do was keep her head above water long enough for everyone else to drown.

And suddenly Finnick knew. Knew why Snow had Annie reaped for seemingly no reason. She was never meant to die in that arena. She was supposed to make it out alive, and as almost any victor could tell you, that was worse.

This was what Snow had intended all along. His punishment wasn't to watch Annie die, but to watch her suffer in life. 

"Damn!" Cashmere threw her arms up in frustration as she looked at her brother. "They can't swim."

Finnick knew this situation was supposed to be painful, and it was. But he couldn't help the prominent and selfish relief that spread through his body. She was alive.

He turned to face Mags, tears of relief stuck in his eyes. "She's coming home."

* * *

They pulled Annie out of the arena hours later; after the other tributes had died and the water was dyed pink from blood. She was screaming and shivering and a mess but she was alive. She was okay.

To his disappointment, he wasn't allowed to even see her until days later.

"Why can't I see her?" Finnick asked the doctor who worked with victors fresh out of the arena. "She's been out for two days!"

"Mr. Odair, she's very unstable, she needs—"

"You don't know her! You don't know what she needs!" Distraught, Finnick pushed past the doctor and went straight into Annie's room. Nobody tried to stop him.

She sat there, her unfocused eyes staring at nothing. Dark shadows lined her eyes and her hair hung lank, shielding her face like a dark curtain. She looked like a shell of her former self. Finnick felt his heart sink as he saw in person how the arena had broken her. How his mistakes had broken her.

"Annie?" He spoke softly as he gently took one of her hands in his. "Can you hear me?"

"Finnick?" Her voice was nothing but a strangled whisper.

"I'm here, Annie."

They sat together for a while, Annie drifting in and out of focus. Finnick stayed with her the whole time, just holding her in his arms.

"Finnick." Annie had pulled out of her unfocused stupor. Finnick looked up at her; her eyes had cleared a bit.

"Yes, Ann?"

"Where are we?" Her voice had a childlike innocence and confusion laced in it. Finnick wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"We're in the hospital, Annie," Finnick talked slowly, unsure how to proceed without triggering her. "You're coming home."

Annie let a small smile grace her lips as she leaned back into Finnick's arms. She melted into his embrace.

She'd be okay, Finnick thought. They'd both be okay.

* * *

"You'll have to be extra careful to smile, dear. Remember, you're a victor now. This is everything you've ever wanted; you're happy."

Annie merely nodded absentmindedly as Electra lectured her on presentation for the final interview. She picked at a loose thread on her sleeve, seemingly uncaring.

Electra rambled on. "Please do be sure to represent us well, dear; it will make me look just ridiculous if you mess up. Oh, but you can get emotional when Griffin and the girl from 8 die; Caesar will ask about that."

Annie let out a choked sob at the mention of her former allies.

"You're going to be alright, Annie," Finnick reassured her. "I'll be right there. All you have to do is get through this interview, and then you'll be safe."

He really did feel guilty about lying to her. It had been a long time, almost two weeks, since she had been pulled out of the arena. The Capitol was getting antsy; they wanted to see their victor. 

She was a victor now; she'd never be safe again. Still, he needed her to perform well tonight.

"Promise you'll help me?" Annie asked, her green eyes wide and slightly clouded.

"Of course."

"Now, come along, dear," Electra clapped her hands in excitement. "Your prep team is waiting for you!"

Reluctantly, Finnick let go of Annie's hand. He watched her walk away. In just a few hours, she would be onstage, getting interviewed and watching the Games as the Capitol citizens expressed their adulation for their newest victor.

He glanced over at Mags, who was also watching Annie walk away. "You'll get through this, boy. She still needs you."

Finnick knew that Annie still needed him. He wondered if it was obvious that he needed her just as much.

* * *

The interview went, for the most part, smoothly. There were a few times when Annie retreated into her mind, but a few soft words from Finnick were able to coax her back into reality.

Annie did get emotional watching Evelyn and Griffin die. Perhaps a little too emotional for the comfort of the empty-headed Capitol citizens. Still, she didn't even flinch when Snow placed the crown on her head, and even managed to give a rather convincing smile.

All in all, it went smoothly.

"Are we almost there, Finn?" Annie asked as she gazed out the window of the train. They were heading back to District 4 to film Annie's homecoming.

"We're almost there, Annie." Finnick smiled as he intertwined his fingers in hers. "We'll be home soon."

Annie smiled distantly as she rested her head on Finnick's shoulder. They sat together like that for the rest of the train ride, both of them drained from the events of the past month.

And when the train pulled in to the station, giving a beautiful view of the blue ocean, Finnick was sure he saw Annie's first genuine smile since the arena.


	16. Chapter 16

Stepping off the train, Finnick was unsure how Annie would react to the large crowd waiting to greet her. He held her hand and whispered soothing words in her ear as discreetly as he could. To her credit, Annie was able to hold on.

She smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Perhaps Finnick was the only one who noticed, because he knew her so well.

Still, she tearfully embraced her parents as the camera crew caught the heartwarming reunion. Finnick stood off to the side, letting Annie be welcomed back home.

Once the crowd had dispersed and the camera crew had left, Finnick embraced Annie for the first time since she had returned home.

"Hi," Annie said, smiling. "My parents went back home. I said I'd meet them there."

"Hey, Annie." Finnick gave a soft smile in return. "Want me to walk you home?"

Annie made no move to suggest that she had comprehended his question. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at something in front of her. Finnick held her hand.

"Annie?"

"Hm?" She asked vaguely. Before he could repeat the question, Annie declared, "I want to go to the beach." Annie's eyes didn't move from where they were gazing in front of her. She spoke as though she was just realizing something important.

"Now?" Finnick asked skeptically. "Ann, it's been a long day, and it's dark already. We should probably get you home."

"Let's go to the beach, Finn."

Heaving a sigh, Finnick nodded. He took Annie's hand as they walked to the beach. The air had cooled as the sun went down.

"Here we are," he said gently.

Annie just stared out at the water. At first, Finnick thought she had zoned out again, before she started to speak.

"The ocean is big." Her eyes had gone wide, and her lips were slightly parted in surprise.

"Yeah, it is."

Annie smiled as she intertwined their fingers. Her eyes looked clear for the first time since the arena.

"Walk me home, Finn?"

"Of course."

He and Annie walked back to her house. Tomorrow, she would move in to Victors' Village with her family. They would have all the money they could ever need; they would want for nothing. And yet they would never understand the change in their daughter. They way she wakes up screaming from nightmares or how she zones out during random conversations. She was a victor now, and Finnick knew they would never really understand.

He walked Annie to her doorstep, where her parents were waiting on the porch.

"Annie!" Annie's mother, Julianne Cresta, shot up from her seat. "There you are, you said you'd be home ages ago!"

"I'm sorry," Annie said, though she sounded distant. "Finnick and I went to the beach."

Annie's parents eyed Finnick skeptically, as if they just noticed he was there.

"You!" Annie's father, John Cresta, all but snarled when he saw Finnick. "You've done your part by bringing her home, and we appreciate that. But she's home now, so you can just back off and leave her be."

Finnick didn't even have time to defend himself before Mrs. Cresta spoke up. "Annie doesn't need any more bad influences right now. She needs to be with her family."

He wanted to speak up and say that they didn't know what Annie needed, that she was a victor now and wouldn't be understood by anyone outside of that title. Still, he kept his mouth shut. If Annie wanted space from him, he would stay away.

"Stay away from our daughter," Mr. Cresta ordered. Finnick reeled back as though he'd been slapped.

He caught a final glimpse of Annie's confused and terrified face before the door slammed in front of him.

* * *

Finnick decided, with the help of Mags' advice, to give Annie some space. The welcome from her parents was anything but warm; though Finnick couldn't say he blamed them. It was his fault she ended up in the arena, after all.

He was blearily climbing out of bed one morning, a few days after Annie returned home. He had been woken up when the sound of the ringing phone penetrated his dreams. Languidly, he made his way to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Finnick Odair?" The voice on the other end sounded vaguely familiar, though he couldn't quite place it. "This is Julianne Cresta. Annie's having a nightmare and won't wake up; we have no idea what's going on. She's been screaming for you."

"I'll be right there."

He didn't even bother to put on his shoes; he practically flew to Annie's house. Finally, he reached her doorway and went right in.

Finnick could hear Annie's screams coming from upstairs. Not bothering to greet her parents, he ran upstairs to comfort her.

The screams only got louder the closer to Annie he got. He reached her room and wrapped his arms over her trembling frame.

"Annie?" He slowly coaxed her out of her dream. "It's alright, I'm here. You're safe."

He repeated those words like a mantra until the trembling ceased, and she was able to recover long enough to form a coherent sentence.

"Finnick?" Annie gazed at him blearily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she struggled to wake up. "What're you doing here?"

"Your mother called me," he explained.

"Oh." Annie's eyes went downcast for a moment. "They don't know what to do with me, do they? They think I'm crazy."

Finnick shook his head. "They just don't understand. They probably never will understand, but that doesn't mean they don't love you."

"I'm just a burden to them, Finn. Not even a real victor." Her eyes went cloudy as she retreated into her mind. Finnick squeezed her hand.

"Annie?"

Blinking rapidly, she looked back up at him. "What?"

Finnick gave a nonchalant shrug. "You just zoned out for a minute, that's all."

Annie nodded as she gave a small hum of acknowledgement. Leaning back into Finnick's arms, she let out a wide yawn.

"Tired?"

"Mhm." Her eyelids fluttered. "I didn't get much sleep."

Finnick nodded. He knew what that was like. "Well, you've got plenty of time to sleep now."

"But it's morning time," Annie weakly protested. Finnick gave a small chuckle.

"Just go to sleep, Ann. I'll stay with you," he promised her. Annie looked up at him with a small, sleepy smile before laying down and letting her eyes close.

Finnick let Annie sleep in his arms for a while. He was tired himself; he hadn't gotten much sleep either. He felt himself relax as Annie shifted in his arms.

That was how Annie's parents found them, hours later; a tangled mess of limbs and bed sheets, sound asleep in each other's arms.


	17. Chapter 17

The next few weeks passed in a blurry haze for both Finnick and Annie. They were both still recovering after the events of the Games. Annie, who had not made much progress since she'd stepped off the train, was starting to arouse suspicion with her incapacitated mental state.

Finnick had assumed this would not be a problem; she would recover from the ordeal enough to put on a good show, just like the rest of the victors did. Still, she hadn't stopped zoning out in the middle of conversations or clamping her hands over her ears when things got overwhelming.

Finnick was starting to worry.

Would she ever get better, or would she live this way forever; traumatized by the arena and forever haunted by Griffin's lifeless eyes gazing at her? It made his stomach churn.

As victors, they all had a burden to carry. Whether it be Finnick's famous Capitol persona, or Beetee's intelligent mind, they all were assets to the Capitol. Assets to Snow.

Would Annie be able to contribute?

Apparently, President Snow had the same worries. Finnick felt dread pool in his stomach as he read the letter. He had just gotten home from the beach; just in time to see the letter and one single artificial rose.

_Mr. Odair,_  
 _As you are aware, people are starting to express their concern about Miss Cresta's well-being; specifically, her mental health. As you know, I cannot have my_ _v_ _ictors perform anything less than satisfactory. I trust that you'll see to it that she is stable enough to do well on her Victory Tour in a few months time._

_On a slightly different note, you are needed in the Capitol again next week. Because of your long absence following the end of this year's Games, you will be granted hospitality here in the Capitol for two weeks._

_Please be sure to check in on Miss Cresta, and I am looking forward to seeing you again soon._

_Coriolanus Snow_   
_President of Panem_

Finnick just stared at the letter for a few minutes, unblinking. He was needed in the Capitol again. For two weeks. How was he supposed to help Annie if he wasn't even around to do it?

His thoughts were crudely interrupted when he heard the screaming.

* * *

Finnick's mind was on autopilot; he dropped the letter as his feet moved of their own accord. In just a few short moments, he had made it to Annie's front door.

Not bothering to knock, he hastily opened the door and rushed inside.

Annie was curled up in the center of the chaos. Her hands were clamped over her ears as her body trembled violently. He noticed that her hair was greasy and appeared to be unwashed. Her clothes were rumpled and stained; had she been wearing them for days? It was probable, the more Finnick thought about it; he knew what it was like to come out of the arena.

"Annie," Finnick knelt down beside her. They had been together only a few days ago, and she had seemed alright. "Ann, it's Finnick. Can you hear me?"

Slowly, she removed her hands from her ears. Annie gazed at the wall blankly, still showing no signs of coming back to him.

Finnick wrapped his arms around her shaking frame protectively. He didn't know how long they had sat there before Annie blinked rapidly as her eyes cleared.

"Finnick?"

Lost in his thoughts, Finnick looked up. "Hey, Annie. What happened here? Where are your parents?"

"I don't know. They went into town a this morning, I think," she said, her eyes scanning the room, as if noticing for the first time the mess that had consumed her house. "How long have you been here?

"A few hours."

Annie gave a small nod. "I was trying to make cookies." It was then Finnick noticed the rotten smell of burnt dough streaming from the oven. In his haste to get to Annie, he hadn't taken a good look around.

The house was in shambles; clothes and furniture were strewn carelessly on the floor. Dishes and silverware that had become dirty with time filled the sink and overflowed onto the counter.

"The oven timer went off, and," she paused hesitantly for a moment, "I guess I just lost it."

Finnick nodded. "That's understandable."

Annie looked up at him. "What?"

He gave a small shrug. "It's understandable. I was the same way after my Games, too."

"Really? They say I'm mad. Am I mad, Finnick?"

Finnick gave a dry, humorless laugh. She certainly could be perceived as mad, for the people who had never come in contact with a victor before.

"We're all a little mad, Annie. Some of us are just better at hiding it."

* * *

The next few days found the two attached at the hip. Ever since Annie's breakdown, Finnick hadn't left her side. She needed him there, and he needed her just as much.

"I never sleep in my bed anymore," Annie remarked nonchalantly as they sat at the beach. Summer was turning into fall as the weather cooled, and Finnick and Annie were taking advantage of the warm weather. "I always fall asleep in random places. I fell asleep in the bathtub once. Did that ever happen to you?"

Finnick nodded. "Yeah, it did. Except I would always try to sleep in my bed and end up on the floor."

"What about now?" she asked, her eyebrows raised inquisitively.

"Now, I take all the sleep I can get." Hastily changing the subject, he said, "You should have told me, Ann. I can help make it more comfortable."

"Mhm, okay."

Finnick smiled as Annie casually leaned her head on his shoulder. Their fingers were intertwined, as they almost always were.

The next day, Finnick helped Annie arrange blankets in her closets and other small spaces she was prone to fall asleep in; even putting pillows in the bathtub. Annie, he could tell, was especially grateful when she dozed off in a closet, wrapped in a blanket comfortably.

He really was happy to help her; the life of a victor was hard enough with people to support you, let alone by yourself.

When he returned home, his heart sank when he saw Snow's letter. He would be leaving for the Capitol in a week, leaving Annie alone in District 4.

Finnick heaved a heavy sigh. Leaving was hard enough before, but now?

He didn't think it was possible to resent himself even more.


	18. Chapter 18

"Good luck, Finn."

Finnick gave a small wave as Annie smiled sadly. He boarded the train to the Capitol without looking back; if he looked back, he knew he wouldn't go. As much as he wanted to stay home with Annie, he had a job to do.

The trip was long but uneventful, and Finnick made it to the Capitol a few hours later. Almost as soon as he got there, he would be expected to see a client. He glanced down at the card displaying the name and address of his first client.

Marina Clearthorn. Finnick didn't recognize the name, but it was possible they'd met before and he'd just forgotten. He arrived at her house right on time, and she greeted him with a smile.

"Finnick Odair," she welcomed him inside. Marina was a woman who was possibly ten or fifteen years his senior, although all the alterations and cosmetic surgeries had left her age unclear. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine, Miss Clearthorn." Finnick had become an expert at lying through his teeth. He gave his charming smile reserved only for clients and Capitol citizens.

"Oh, call me Marina," she beamed. "I paid quite a lot for you, you know. You were very expensive."

"Well," Finnick said, smiling seductively. "I'll be sure to make it worth your while."

Marina opened her cabinet and pulled out two glasses. "Oh, I'm sure you will. But that can wait until later. Would you like a drink?"

A little alcohol couldn't hurt, Finnick thought. And one of the first rules of this business is never say no to a client. So Finnick accepted the drink with a grateful smile.

He noticed early on in the evening that this woman liked to talk. A lot. Sometimes, this worked to his advantage, because all Finnick had to do was smile and nod. Sometimes, all he wanted to do was go home; or, at the very least, have sex and leave. This time happened to be the latter.

"...and of course, I didn't know what to do! I mean, how would you react in that situation?" Marina was saying. He wasn't really listening, although that would only be apparent if you knew him well. Unless you were Annie.

Annie. The thought of her made his heart clench. He wanted to be at home with her right now, not in some Capitol woman's expensive apartment, drinking wine and listening to her rants.

"Finnick?" Marina had stopped talking. "Take me to bed."

Gathering his courage, he flipped his Capitol switch on. He took her hand and led her to bed. They had sex right there, and Marina was obviously pleased. She was out of breath by the time she was putting her clothes back on.

"You were just as good as my friends promised you'd be."

Finnick smiled, though his eyes were empty. "Well, I aim to please, my dear."

"What can I give you for your time?" Marina stepped away from the bed, scanning the room for anything valuable. "This should be worth something." She pulled a diamond necklace from the shelf.

"No, no." Finnick thought about earlier that evening; all the talking she did. "No, your husband would notice if that were missing. I'll tell you what: if you want to pay me, you can tell me a secret."

"A secret?"

Finnick nodded as Marina thought for a moment. "Tell me about President Snow."

"Why do you want to know about the President?" Marina asked, her eyes narrowed. "I don't want to get in trouble by telling you confidential information."

"Ah, but who would I tell?" Finnick asked innocently. "I'm just a poor boy from the Districts, after all."

Marina contemplated, thinking his words over. "Okay, but only because you did such a good job tonight. Here's a good one."

Playing the part, Finnick leaned in closer.

"Now, we all know our beloved President Snow has been in power for a long time," she began. "Over thirty years, in fact."

Finnick gave her a nod to encourage her to continue.

Marina picked at her nails thoughtfully. "He does have enemies, Finnick. Although you may not realize it because he likes to get rid of them quickly. Oh, yes, he doesn't like to keep threats around. There is a much more effective way to get rid of opponents."

He felt his throat grow dry. "And what would that be?"

Marina offered him a seductive smile. "He poisons them."

* * *

Over the next two weeks, Finnick gathered as many secrets as he could. Drunken secrets in the dark, breathy secrets in bed, secrets whispered on his lips as they bid him farewell. But none were quite as important as the first one he acquired; the one given to him by Marina Clearthorn.

Some of the secrets, Finnick didn't have any use for. He truly didn't care who was caught making out at some party or who got caught cheating on their spouse. However, he made sure to remember them all. Those things, while trivial, could serve a purpose later.

Even if he never got to use the secrets, Finnick was glad he got something out of the arrangement. And Snow never even needed to know.

Snow had requested a meeting with him before he left to go back home. Finnick wasn't looking forward to it; meetings with the President never turned out good. Still, it was only one more thing. One more thing, then he could leave.

"Come in, Mr. Odair."

Taking a deep breath, he walked into President Snow's office.

"Now, Mr. Odair." Snow sat down in his chair, and indicated for Finnick to sit down at the other side of his desk. "You may be wondering why I've called you here on such short notice."

"Yes," Finnick replied cautiously.

"As you know, Miss Cresta's Victory Tour is coming up soon," he began. "If you recall your own Victory Tour, you'll remember what is customary for victors to do. Especially attractive ones, such as your lovely Annie."

Finnick let a shuddering breath escape his lips as he remembered the events of his own Tour. He had been sold to his first client. He had been only fifteen at the time. Annie was eighteen; surely Snow would want to sell her, too.

"No." The word had escaped his lips before he had a chance to stop it. He knew as soon as he said it that he'd made a mistake. Disobeying the president almost always had dire consequences.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Odair?"

"You can't do that to her," Finnick said quickly. Hastily, he added, "She's unstable. Nobody wants to sleep with an insane girl."

He hated talking about Annie that way, but it was better than watching her become Snow's prostitute.

"Is that so?" Snow leaned back on his chair, as if he were completely comfortable. "I'll trust you on this one, Mr. Odair. Now, I must ask: what would you do to keep Miss Cresta safe from your current fate?"

"Anything. I'd do anything."

Snow let a saccharine smile spread across his face; the stretched out skin of his lips stretched even further. Finnick repressed a shudder. "Right answer. If you'd do anything to keep her safe, surely you wouldn't mind taking on more clients? Maybe gracing us with your presence more regularly?"

He didn't even hesitate. "Fine. I take on more clients, and you don't touch her."

"Oh, Mr. Odair, you are in no place to be negotiating with me. But I will give you this one: you take on more clients and follow orders, and Miss Cresta is safe. For now."

"Okay," Finnick said. He could barely force the word out.

"And remember this. You make one mistake, and Miss Cresta will be dead. She may be a victor, but she's quite expendable. She is unstable, as you said, so people would not be too surprised if Annie were to wade into the ocean one day and never come back. Understood?"

"I understand," Finnick whispered weakly.

"Good. I'm glad we had this talk, Finnick."

"Me, too, sir."

As Finnick left the office, away from the cloying smell of blood and roses, he contemplated. Snow was right; nobody would be broken should Annie die.

That is, nobody but him.


	19. Chapter 19

"C'mon, Annie." Finnick extended his hand out for her to take. "You've only got one more chance."

Annie stood at the shoreline, letting her eyes gaze out at the ocean. The waves rolled in at her feet, slowing down and sloshing gently around her ankles.

"How pathetic is this?" Annie let out a burst of nervous laughter. "I'm from District 4 and I'm afraid of the ocean."

"Anyone would be, after what you went through. Did you know it took Mags six months to even convince me to start making nets again?"

Annie looked up at him curiously. "No, really?"

"Really." Finnick nodded his confirmation. His hand was still extended, and he smiled softly as Annie slowly took it. "I'll be with you the whole time, Ann. This'll probably be our last chance to swim before your Victory Tour."

"I know," Annie breathed. "I just don't want to...freak out again. I haven't been swimming since the arena."

Finnick noted with a smile that Annie was slowly getting better. Just six months ago, she couldn't even mention the arena without breaking down. She still had bad days, but she was getting there.

"I'll tell you what," Finnick began. "You tell me whenever you want to stop, and we'll go right back to shore. Okay?"

Annie nodded, breathing slowly. Her eyes had closed. "I'm ready, Finn."

Slowly, the two waded into the water, hand in hand. Annie gripped onto his hand so hard her knuckles were white, but she kept going.

"Finnick." Her breaths were labored.

"You're doing great, Annie. I'm right here with you."

Slowly, over the course of a few hours, they made progress. Annie grew more comfortable in the water, and soon, she was able to submerge her entire body under without breaking down.

"I did it, Finn!" Annie beamed, and her eyes looked completely clear. "I did it!"

"I'm so proud of you, Annie." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a kiss, lifting her off her feet. "You must be tired, though. Are you ready to go back home?"

"Yeah. It's getting late, anyway."

Together, Finnick and Annie walked home. The sun was setting, and it was cooling down considerably. As much as he didn't want to, Finnick knew he had to let Annie go home to spend some time with her parents before her Victory Tour.

"Goodnight, Finnick." Annie gave him one last kiss goodnight as they approached her house.

"Goodnight, Annie."

* * *

With Annie's upcoming Victory Tour looming over their heads, Finnick hadn't gotten to spend as much time with Annie as he'd wanted to. She was regressing every day; the thought of going back to the Capitol left her terrified. And Finnick couldn't blame her.

"All you have to do is read from the cards," Finnick assured her one morning, a week or so before the Tour was due to start. "After this, it'll all be over."

He wasn't sure how true those words actually were. He knew that while they were in the Capitol, he'd be required to see even more clients than usual. While unsavory, he knew it was worth it to keep Annie safe from that fate.

"What if I mess up?" Annie asked, a few stray tears dripping from her eyes. "Will he punish me? Or you?"

Finnick hesitated. Snow would punish Annie if she didn't perform well; he knew that. "You'll just have to make sure you don't mess up, Annie. I'll help you as much as I can, but I'll be busy once we get to the Capitol."

"I don't know if I can do it." Annie's voice came out in a barely audible whisper.

"You have to do it. I'm sorry, Ann, that's just how it is." He hated that she had to live like this. The life of a victor was nothing short of miserable. 

"You'll be there, Finn?"

"I'll always be there for you, Annie."

Finnick stayed quiet as Annie's eyes glazed over and she became unresponsive. Perhaps it was better that way; retreating into your own mind instead of facing reality. Safer, maybe. More comfortable.

He wasn't sure if Annie could make it through the whole tour without breaking down. And, he knew, Snow wouldn't allow them to be seen romantically in public. Just more bad news he had to break to Annie.

He noticed that Annie had dozed off, her tangled brown hair splayed out at his kitchen table. Finnick pressed a soft kiss to her temple then busied himself by making tea for whenever she woke up.

Returning to the table, he set down the tea and watched as Annie's face slipped into an expression of peaceful tranquility that she hadn't yet achieved since leaving the arena. He smiled softly.

Annie lifted her head a moment later, her tousled hair clumsily falling down her shoulders. "Finn? Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah, for a few minutes," Finnick answered with nonchalance. "Have you been getting much sleep lately?" He really wasn't sure why he asked; he knew she hadn't been sleeping well.

"Not really," Annie shrugged pitifully. "I guess I'm just stressed about the Victory Tour. What about you?"

"You don't need to worry about me, Annie." It went unspoken that it was his job to protect her. She didn't need to be even more burdened by his problems.

"I worry about you because I care about you, Finnick."

Finnick smiled sadly and gently squeezed her hand. "I care about you, too, Ann." Annie smiled as she intertwined their fingers. Finnick wished he could be with her every day without worrying whether or not his mistakes would cost her her life.

"Hey, how about we have a picnic on the beach today to put the last few days before the Tour to good use?" Annie's eyes lit up.

Finnick smiled. "Sure, that sounds like fun. Want to invite Mags?"

Annie nodded and said goodbye as she want to knock on Mags' door. Finnick smiled to himself. He only had a few days left with her before her Victory Tour; he had better make the most of it.


	20. Chapter 20

To his dismay, Annie's Victory Tour started only a few days later. He wasn't sure how she'd react to being back on the train, seeing as the last time she was there, she had just gotten pulled from the arena.

Finnick supposed he shouldn't have been surprised that Annie was struggling.

"We honor their courage, their sacrifice, and their commitment to make Panem the best it can be." Annie's words were empty and hollow. She was like a marionette; her body being pulled by strings but the actions ultimately meaningless.

The crowds had noticed Annie's hollow attempt at speeches, as well. Nobody clapped or cheered or showed any enthusiasm. Annie's lifeless demeanor had rubbed off on the citizens of Panem, and Finnick knew Snow wouldn't be very happy with her performance.

"Annie?" Finnick sat down on the couch next to Annie, where her unwavering gaze had been staring at nothing for the last five minutes.

"Give her some space, boy." Mags had joined the two. "I'll make sure she's ready. You rest."

Sighing, Finnick stood up. How could he possibly rest when Annie needed him so much? He grimaced as black dots clouded his vision. Had he always been this tired?

Before Finnick knew it, he was in bed. He tried to ignore how empty the bed felt while he fell asleep.

* * *

"Next stop is District 8!" Electra's cheery voice made Finnick wince. He watched with growing concern as Annie mindlessly shuffled food around on her dinner plate.

He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and keep her safe forever, but Snow had given specific instructions not to interact with Annie beyond the tribute/mentor relationship.

"You should eat something." Finnick looked up as Mags spoke to Annie. Annie, who was absorbed in her own thoughts, didn't hear her.

"Well," Electra smiled, either oblivious or willfully ignorant of the tension hanging in the air. "I, for one, am very excited for District 8. I even took the liberty to write a little something extra in your speech to honor the 8 girl, dear."

Annie murmured something incoherent.

The meal drew on; the cloud of tension never leaving the air. Even Electra's attempts to cheer everyone up eventually fell flat.

"I'm going to bed," Mags announced as she stood up from her chair. Her movements were slow and labored. "You want to help me, boy? At this rate, I'll be to my room in an hour."

Finnick gave an abrupt laugh as he led Mags to her room. When he returned, Electra had left, leaving Annie alone at the table.

"Hey, Annie."

Annie looked up at him, her green eyes still cloudy. "Finnick? Where are we?"

"We'll be in District 8 in the morning," he answered. Annie nodded slowly.

She gave a small hum as she said, "It's too bad there are no beaches around, don't you think?"

Finnick chuckled. "Yeah, I think so."

They were silent for a moment before Annie spoke up again. "I'm tired, Finn."

"Then go to sleep."

"I can't sleep without you there."

Finnick froze. She wasn't supposed to say that. If the room was bugged; if Snow could hear everything they were saying right now, they'd both be in trouble. But would it really matter if they were alone? Where nobody could hear them? If he was lucky, he could get off with merely a warning. He knew he didn't need any more blood on his hands.

Him and Annie had been sharing a bed for a while, after finding out sleeping came a lot easier that way. But that was in the privacy of their own homes in District 4, not in a Capitol train.

"Annie..."

Annie smiled gently. "I know you've been having trouble sleeping, too. Just come with me, Finn."

Unable to say no, Finnick joined her in bed.

* * *

Carefully, Finnick took Annie's arm and gently led her to the stage. They had arrived at District 8, and Finnick felt a growing anxiety pool in his chest as he took in Annie's aloof expression and languid movements; as if she were there, but not really.

Still, given the circumstances, Annie performed okay. She was still a bit empty and dazed, though no more than he'd thought she'd be. In hindsight, he probably should've expected something to go wrong.

"I would personally like to honor..." Annie stumbled over her words as her eyes roamed the crowd. She caught sight of Evelyn's family, and above that, the picture of her former ally.

Finnick watched with horror as Annie froze, an expression of shock and confusion displayed on her face for everyone to see. She made brief eye contact with Evelyn in the picture before letting out a shrill scream.

Finnick was the first to reach her. Annie had sunk down onto the ground, practically melting into the stage. She was trembling and screaming and her tears fell from her eyes, soaking her blue Capitol dress.

"Annie," Finnick spoke gently as he led her off stage. Mags took Annie and led her off stage as Finnick turned to face the bemused crowd.

"I'm sorry for the delay, everyone," he flashed a bright smile. "There's just been some technical difficulties. In the meantime, I'd like to thank District 8 for their brave tributes and for their generous hospitality."

He continued to talk, hoping the crowd would warm up to him and forget about Annie. Still, there was the dinner to attend to later. He only hoped Annie would be well enough then to make an appearance.

Finnick flashed another nauseatingly bright smile. "Once again, thank you District 8!"

* * *

Of all of the stops on the Victory Tour, Finnick was looking forward to the Capitol the least. He knew he had a role to play, but he wasn't sure how Snow would react to Annie's performance these past few weeks. Okay, so that was a lie. He knew exactly how Snow would react.

He'd be livid.

Finnick smiled and charmed the guests of the Capitol's Victory Party easily. This was the easy part. Scanning the room, he wondered who had bought him for the evening. He didn't have much time to wonder, however.

"A word, Mr. Odair?" Dressed in a sleek black suit, President Snow slithered up behind him. Finnick was about to hesitate before Snow said, "I think your patrons can wait a few minutes, don't you agree?"

"Of course, sir."

Snow smiled. "I will not waste time with greetings, Mr. Odair. You and I both know that Miss Cresta embarrassed Panem these past weeks. I trust you also noticed that her performance was not quite satisfactory?"

Finnick's blood ran cold. "Sir, I can explain—"

"Oh, there will be no need for that. I came to talk to you about your own performance."

"My performance?" Finnick echoed softly.

"You know that you have a long line of clients awaiting you. And I'm sure you don't want to disappoint them, am I correct?"

Finnick repressed a shudder. "Yes, sir."

Snow nodded and continued. "I asked that you not be involved in a romantic relationship with Annie Cresta. You haven't followed orders very well, Finnick."

No. No, he was doing so well. Wasn't he?

"Sir, I—"

"Remember your place, Mr. Odair. It does pain me to let you know that Miss Cresta's parents drowned in a boating accident while you were away. All too common for District 4, I'm afraid."

No, that couldn't be right. In District 4, children swam before they could walk. Even Annie's parents, who made nets for a living, surely knew how to swim. People don't just drown in 4, that was simply not the way their district worked. 

Finnick felt his throat close up in grief. Annie's parents were dead. Annie's parents were dead because of him. He killed Annie's parents. And Annie would never forgive him.

"I trust you can pass this information along to Miss Cresta? And please, do offer her my condolences."

"Of course, sir."

With that, Snow strode away, leaving Finnick to his thoughts.


	21. Chapter 21

"Are we almost home, Finn?" Annie asked as she absentmindedly twirled a lock of her hair.

Finnick nodded with a small smile. "Yes, Annie, we're almost home." He still hadn't worked up the courage to tell Annie the news about her parents. And he suspected 'hey, Annie, I killed your parents' wasn't exactly the best way to begin a conversation.

Annie gazed out the window, watching the green forests of District 7 pass by. She had barely said a word after the Victory Party at the Capitol.

Despite his best efforts to keep his eye on her all night, Finnick did eventually have to leave with a client. He trusted Mags to look after Annie in his absence, although Annie still looked rather deflated.

"I'm very excited to be home," Annie said softly. After an especially long pause, she said, "I miss my family. Will they be waiting for me, Finnick?"

What was he supposed to say to this? "Annie...your parents won't be waiting for you when we get home."

Finnick watched helplessly as a slight frown tugged at her lips. "Why not?"

"They died in a boating accident, Ann. I'm so sorry."

For a moment, Annie didn't make a sound. The silence was almost deafening as Finnick waited for her to react. Her eyes glazed over vacantly as Annie retreated into her mind. Finnick took her hand.

"Annie?" His worried voice displayed his growing concern.

"Leave her be, boy." Mags gently placed a hand on Finnick's shoulder. He jumped, having not realized she was there. "Give her some space. She'll come back when she's ready."

Finnick knew she was right. He should give Annie some space. This entire situation was his fault, after all, and it would do no good to contaminate it further.

Without a word, he stood up and strode out of the room.

* * *

They reached District 4 a few hours later. Finnick smiled and waved to the crowd, while leading a still aloof Annie back to her empty house. Despite the lack of life, her house still managed to look meticulously similar to every other house in the village. 

He was exhausted. It seemed that all he had done these past few weeks was pretend to be the Capitol's 'Golden Boy', and he was tired of it.

And, in all honesty, he was just tired.

He tossed away a customary letter from the Capitol congratulating him on a successful Victory Tour. Finnick just wanted to be home; free from the Capitol or any reminders of it.

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. Mags stood at his doorstep.

"She's moving in with me," Mags insisted. "She won't stay in that empty house. And you can come, too, Finnick."

"Mags, what—" He didn't have time to think before Mags grabbed his wrist and pulled him with surprising strength to her house.

"We'll get your stuff later," she assured him. "Let's go."

Annie was already there waiting when Mags and Finnick entered. She sat vacantly on the couch as Mags moved in a whirlwind around her. Finnick joined her.

"Hey, Annie."

No response. He didn't know if he should be worried or relieved. Sighing, Finnick intertwined their fingers and sat with Annie.

* * *

"Up, you two!" Mags' garbed voice woke Finnick from where he had been sleeping on the couch with Annie. "It's dinnertime."

"Dinnertime?" Annie asked blearily as she rubbed the remnants of sleep from her eyes.

"Yes, dinnertime. Set the table, Finnick."

Finnick let an amused chuckle slip from his lips as he moved to help Mags set the table. She really had gone all out; cooked fish and assorted vegetables lined the table. He grinned at the familiarity; it would be nice eating something from home after weeks of rich and heavy Capitol food.

Finnick led Annie to the kitchen for dinner a few minutes later. Sleep had done her good; the cloudy look in her eyes had abated slightly and her movements were less languid.

"It smells good," Annie smiled softly.

"It tastes good," said Finnick, who had already begun to shovel food in his mouth. Mags gave him a light slap on the arm.

"Our first family dinner should be special," Mags said. Finnick felt his heart jump at the word 'family', but didn't fail to notice how Annie's gaze lowered.

He squeezed her hand. "I love you."

Annie gave him a watery smile. "I love you, too."

Finnick noted with a smile that Mags had succeeded in making their first family dinner special. His and Annie's fingers were intertwined the whole time, as they usually were nowadays.

"Who wants dessert?" Mags asked with a toothy smile as they finished their meals.

"You made dessert, too?" Finnick asked.

"If you count picking up a cake from the bakery as making dessert, then yes, I made dessert."

Annie laughed out loud, and Finnick smiled in return. It was nice to see her happy, and it was nice to all be there together. Like a family.

How long had it been since he had a proper family? Before his victory, probably. Before his parents died and his siblings severed all ties. Now, with Mags and Annie, he'd found a family again. They were safe and comfortable here. 

Annie watched him intently. "What are you thinking about?"

He grinned broadly. "Just how beautiful you look right now." Annie's face flushed red. 

She giggled. "Let's try some of that cake."

Finnick kissed her head gently as he made his way to grab the cake for Mags. It was a relatively modest chocolate cake.

"It was fresh when I got it this afternoon," Mags smiled as she scooped up servings for the three of them.

"Looks delicious."

The cake was delicious. But Finnick's favorite part of the evening was watching Annie and Mags laugh and eat cake together. Annie looked, for the first time in months, happy.

They really were quite a sight; Finnick's two favorite girls laughing over some joke with him looking at them with a fond smile.

It really couldn't get much better.


	22. Chapter 22

The three of them had settled into a somewhat strange routine throughout the next few weeks. It had been a long time since Finnick had lived with anyone at all; much less fellow victors. He often found himself in Annie's bed, coaxing her out of a nightmare. Or, some nights, vice versa.

Still, living with Mags and Annie was something Finnick never really knew he wanted until it had started. He had found a comfortable place in their little family unit.

It had been a few months since the end of Annie's Victory Tour, and she was already doing so much better. Apparently, them moving in together was doing Annie some good, too.

"Finn!" Annie's voice carried up the stairs from where Finnick groggily woke up. "It's late, Finnick! Get down here; Mags and I made breakfast!"

"I'm coming!" he called back, rolling out of bed. Had he gotten a full nights sleep? That would be the first time in months. He felt fine, after all, so he got dressed to join Annie and Mags downstairs.

"There you are," Mags said. "It's already nine."

"Good," he smiled softly as he gave Annie a kiss on the cheek. "I could use the sleep."

Mags hummed in agreement. Without saying a word, she scooped up some pancakes onto his and Annie's plates. They both smiled in return.

"I was thinking," Annie said in between bites of food. "Maybe we could go to the beach today."

As winter turned into spring, the weather had gotten steadily warmer. The bright morning sun peaked through the windows.

Finnick shrugged. "Sure, that sounds good. Mags?"

"I'll come. We all need to get out of the house."

Annie smiled in satisfaction. They ate breakfast quickly so they could get ready for the beach. Within just a few minutes, they were on their way.

"The beach is always really pretty in the morning," Annie mused. Finnick couldn't help but agree as the gentle waves rolled in at their feet.

"It is pretty," he smiled. Annie bent down to pick up a few seashells while Mags dipped her feet in the water. Finnick sat down and let the waves wash over him. It was already getting warm, but the water was still cool.

He breathed in the salty air of the sea and fondly watched his two favorite girls.

* * *

Sometime during that afternoon, the weather had warmed considerably. After a few hours at the beach, the three had decided they could no longer take the scorching sun and made their way back home.

"As much as I love the beach, I don't think I could have taken much more of that sun," Annie pouted as she examined her newly acquired sunburn. "Look, Finn—I look like a lobster!"

"You do not look like a lobster," Finnick scoffed with a smile. Annie raised her eyebrows defiantly. "Okay, fine, but a very attractive lobster."

Annie laughed as she and Finnick opened the front door for Mags. He didn't think he'd ever been so glad to feel air conditioning.

"Well, at least you still think I'm..." Annie froze mid laugh. Whatever banter she had come up with died on her lips as they saw the letter on the table. The familiar, cloying scent of artificial roses brought Finnick back to reality as he grimaced and picked up the letter.

"It's for me."

There was no need to ask who it was from. Mags and Annie stood there, still. Finnick's stomach churned as he read the letter.

_Mr. Odair,_   
_I've been generous in giving you a few weeks off after the Victory Tour, but the citizens of the Capitol are eager to see you again. I do hope you'll grace us with your presence in one weeks time._

_As usual, you will find a list of clients and addresses in your apartment. It should take about two weeks to finish the job, and I trust you'll finish the job well._

_I hope Miss Cresta is doing well, and please give my regards to your family._

_Coriolanus Snow_   
_President of Panem_

Finnick didn't know how long he merely stood there, staring at the letter in his hand. Two weeks in the Capitol? But he'd just been to the Capitol on the Victory Tour; surely Snow couldn't want him back so soon?

"Finn?" Annie's gentle voice shook him out of his stupor. "Are you alright?"

He hadn't even noticed he'd been crying until Mags wrapped her arms around him in a crushing hug. His shoulders heaved as he cried on her shoulder. The weight and crushing expectations of his life as a victor seemed to pour out of him. He hadn't cried so heavily like this over a trip to the Capitol since he was sixteen.

Finnick supposed he'd been playing the game for so long that he had no time to breathe. It was somewhat ironic, he thought. They say nobody drowns in District 4, and yet here he was.

A few moments later, they pulled away. "How long?" Mags asked, any trace of a smile gone from her face.

"Two weeks. I leave a week from now."

It was Annie's turn to cry. A choked sob escaped her lips as she pulled him in for yet another hug. "I hate that they do this to you, Finn. It's not fair. I wish you could just live your life."

Finnick grinned wryly. It was probably for the best that he didn't mention how many times he wished he'd had the good sense to die in the arena while he had the chance.

Instead, he gently lifted her chin and wiped her tears away. "It'll be okay, Ann." Annie merely sighed and buried her face in his chest. Finnick wrapped his arms around her. "It’ll be so quick that you won’t even notice I’m gone."

Annie huffed miserably. "You know that's not true."

Yeah, he knew.

"I'm going to make tea," Mags announced as she hobbled to the kitchen. Muttering under her breath, she said, "Give you two some alone time..."

The couple managed a watery laugh at that.

"I've still got a week," Finnick pointed out. "I don't have to leave yet."

"It doesn't matter. After this, you'll still have to leave again and again. Who knows how long you'll have to keep going back?"

Finnick sighed and sat down on the couch. She had a point. "I know, I know. Let's make it through this time. And when I have to leave again, we'll make it through that. You'll make yourself crazy if you keep thinking like that."

Annie gave a dry laugh. "Already crazy, remember?"

Finnick felt his spirits rise a bit at her laugh. "I love you, you know that?"

"Mhm," Annie grinned. "I should hope so. Otherwise this would've been very awkward."

Before Finnick had time to wonder what she was talking about, Annie's lips were pressed against his.


	23. Chapter 23

"Stay safe, Finnick."

Finnick smiled sadly as Annie gave him one last farewell hug at the train station. He was leaving for two weeks. It may as well have been eternity.

"I will," he assured her, although they were probably empty words. They both knew he had no control over his safety—or anything, really—while he was in the Capitol. Annie attempted a shaky smile before taking a deep breath and turning away to walk in the opposite direction.

Finnick was acutely aware of his rope bracelet, the one from Annie, resting on his wrist.

Mags gave him a gentle clap on the shoulder and a murmur of garbled speech during a swift hug. Finnick watched her walk away, until it was just him at the station.

He chuckled dryly as he realized he quite literally had nothing with him. There was no need to bring any belongings; anything he needed was oh so generously provided by the Capitol. Still, Finnick found himself wishing he could take some of his own stuff from home.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he boarded the train.

* * *

As usual, when he arrived at his Capitol apartment, he found a note at the table. It was nothing new; just a list of names and addresses and a nonchalant reminder to be on his best behavior. Finnick sighed as he noted that his first client was in twenty minutes, which gave him only enough time to shower and change.

His first client that day was a slight woman, with colorful (fake) hair and eyes. Her name was Annika Blair, and Finnick hated her already.

Still, much to his delight, Annika was full of secrets. And she was eager to share them.

"And you'll never guess what I saw next." Annika paused for dramatic effect as they talked over a bottle of wine. "They were both dead, and there was no evidence to be found! Well, of course, I hadn't the slightest idea what happened. It wasn't until days later that I saw it on the news. I was even interviewed, you know."

Finnick smiled. "Oh, that doesn't surprise me. You did strike me as a star, Miss Blair."

"Call me Annika," she preened. Finnick noticed with a hint of twisted satisfaction that women loved to insist they be called by their first name. He wasn't sure what it was with women and their need to feel personally attached to him, but he sure knew how to make the most of it.

"Of course, Annika."

They settled down in bed about an hour later. Finnick knew that later, he would slip out of her possessive embrace before she woke up the next morning. Maybe leave her a note thanking her for the 'fantastic night'. Regardless, he would make his way to his next client.

For now, though, Finnick sucked a shuddering breath through his teeth and pretended to be having the time of his life. That's just how you play the game.

* * *

Two blurry weeks later, Finnick gathered up his belongings (or lack thereof) to board the train to head home. He felt exhausted. However, his body was still energized from the pills they had given him last night at a party, to prevent him from accidentally falling asleep. His mind had all but shut down, while his eyelids stubbornly refused to close.

Finnick wanted to be home. To see Annie, and Mags. To hear the birds and smell the sea.

He was unaware of how long he sat there, on the train, waiting to see the oceans of his home district. Annie, he knew, would be waiting at the station to see him. Perhaps she was already waiting there now.

It wasn't until hours later that they pulled into the train station. Finnick nearly jumped out of the moving train when he caught a glimpse of Annie's curls through the window. She gave him a smile and a wave.

"I'm almost there, Annie," he whispered; more to himself than to her. As the train stopped, they both met each other halfway. Finnick nearly sunk into her arms with relief.

"I missed you," Annie said into his shoulder. Finnick merely hugged her tighter.

"I missed you, too," her curls muffled his voice. They didn't let go.

"Mags is at home," Annie informed him, after they pulled back a few long moments later. "She wanted to come, but it's a long walk and she was tired. She missed you, too."

Finnick smiled fondly at the mention of his mentor. He had missed his family. "Let's head home, shall we?" He held out his hand expectantly, waiting for Annie to respond.

Annie giggled and placed her hand in his. "We shall."

Together, they walked home. The stars were bright during this time of night, Finnick observed, as his attention was drawn to the sky on the way home. It was impossible to see stars like this in the Capitol. All the buildings and pollution got in the way of ever seeing anything beautiful.

He hadn't noticed the small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth before Annie smiled back. "Happy to be back?" she asked.

"You have no idea," he said.

Smiling broadly, the two stopped walking, embracing each other once again and leaning in for a kiss. Annie tasted like home, and Finnick couldn't have been more relieved. She was here, she was safe, and they were together.

"I love you," he whispered on her lips. Finnick couldn't help but feel exhilarated as he watched her eyes light up.

"I love you, too." Annie gave him one last kiss before pulling away. "We'd better get home, Finn. Mags is waiting for us, and it's getting late."

He couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation. He was out late with his girlfriend, worrying about getting home on time because he had a parent waiting for him. It had been a long time since something so normal had existed for him.

"Let's go home, Annie." He took her hand and they walked the narrow path all the way there.


	24. Chapter 24

Finnick groaned as the morning sun streamed through his windows, blinding his vision and disturbing his sleep. In typical District 4 fashion, spring was short and summer was quickly approaching. He would have welcomed summer, if not for the fact that two families would have one child less come autumn.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt the bed shift and Annie stir beside him. She hadn't woken up yet, but she let out a soft sigh. Finnick smiled softly. Stepping out of bed as quietly as he could, he made his way downstairs.

Mags was already at the table when he arrived in the kitchen. She greeted him before passing him a letter. Her face was pinched with tension. "This came for you last night."

"What?" Finnick asked. He knew it was from the Capitol, but he was just there last week. "Why are they sending me another letter so soon?"

Mags shrugged. "I didn't open it. See for yourself."

Eyebrows furrowed, Finnick opened the letter.

_Mr. Odair,_   
_I have considered your request to exclude Miss Cresta from mentoring this year. I have decided, under careful consideration, that her fragile mental state would make for bad publicity. We do not wish to tamper with the festivities of the Games in any way. However, we all look forward to seeing you again this summer._

_Please do keep in mind that I can revoke this decision at any time. I know you would hate to put Miss Cresta in any danger regarding the Games. Be sure to remember that as we prepare and execute the 71st Hunger Games._

_We here in the Capitol look forward to seeing you soon._

_Coriolanus Snow_   
_President of Panem_

Finnick paused for a moment. Annie didn't have to mentor this year. She was safe. He had asked Snow not to make Annie mentor during his most recent trip to the Capitol, only last week. He hadn't been given a clear answer then, but he had one now.

Annie was safe, and it was up to him to make sure she stayed that way.

"What is it?" Mags asked, startling Finnick out of his thoughts.

"Annie doesn't have to mentor this year," he breathed, still not quite believing it. Mags gave him a triumphant smile.

"Good morning," Annie yawned as she walked into the room. Her brown curls were still tousled from sleep. Catching the looks Finnick and Mags gave her, she asked, "What?"

Finnick wrapped her in a hug. "You don't have to mentor this year."

"I don't? But I thought—"

"No," Finnick interjected. "You're safe, Annie. You won't be going back there."

"Oh," Annie said through a tight smile. "That's good." Finnick started to worry when he noticed how aloof she looked and how glassy her eyes appeared to be.

"Well," Mags said, breaking the stifling silence. "Let's make some breakfast."

* * *

A few days had passed since Finnick had found out that Annie wouldn't have to mentor. Although he thought the announcement was a cause for celebration, Annie seemed to be declining.

Her stationary gaze had been looking out at the ocean for the last hour.

"Annie?"

"What?" Annie asked, blinking.

"You doing alright? You've seemed upset these last few days."

Annie shrugged. "I don't know, it's just...everything with the Games, I guess. It's just that time of year again. My first Games as a victor..."

She didn't need to finish her sentence; Finnick knew exactly what she was talking about. Although she wouldn't be mentoring, Finnick knew she was thinking about her own arena.

"Don't worry, Annie. You won't ever have to go back there. You're safe here," he assured her with a smile.

"I know, but you had to make sacrifices on my behalf. I know you went to Snow and asked him not to make me mentor. There's no reason he'd let me off that easy. You'll be paying for it when you get to the Capitol, and you know it. I just don't want you to get hurt anymore, Finnick."

Finnick's heart clenched as he wiped a tear from Annie's cheek. "I'd do anything for you. I love you, remember?"

"I know," Annie laughed shakily. "I love you, too. It just kills me, seeing you hurt."

Finnick nodded. He understood what that was like. Still, there were some sacrifices that had to be made in order to keep his loved ones safe. He knew it would be futile to explain it to Annie. She understood already; she was a victor too, after all.

"The ocean is really pretty today," Annie remarked softly with a smile. Finnick grabbed her hand.

"The ocean's not the only thing that's pretty," he smirked. Swiftly, he pulled her in for a kiss. Annie let out a muffled shriek of surprise against his lips.

"Finn!" she exclaimed when they broke apart, though her eyes were sparkling. "Finn, you can't just do that!"

"Why not?" he asked with a shrug. "There's nobody here."

"I know, but I—you—ugh!" Annie sputtered as she fell back into the sand with frustration. She was laughing, though, and Finnick loved it. Loved her.

And suddenly they were sixteen again, unburdened by the world and existing only in the comfort of their little bubble. Bantering back and forth without a care in the world.

He laid back, joining her as they looked up into the sky. "You know you love it."

"Please, I only put up with you because you're maybe a little bit cute."

Finnick huffed in mock frustration. "Maybe a little bit? My charming personality makes up for it, right?"

Annie nodded, smiling. "You're very eager to please, Finnick Odair."

"Only for you, Annie Cresta."

They laid on the beach together for hours; long after their skin had burned and the sun had started to go down. Finnick breathed in the salty scent of the sea, and felt Annie's warm hand in his. He let out a content sigh.

"We should do this more often," Annie said. Her eyelids started to droop as a smile tugged at her lips.

"We really should," he replied.

"You think we should go home yet?" Annie asked cautiously. Finnick looked up at the sky again.

"I think we can stay here a little longer."


	25. Chapter 25

Tension seemed to simmer in the air as the impending reaping for the 71st Hunger Games grew closer. Annie was constantly on edge, startling easily at small noises and zoning out for hours at a time.

Finnick was growing increasingly worried as he watched Annie deteriorate. He stopped by their closet door in their bedroom one afternoon, a few days before the reaping.

"Hey," he said gently. Annie didn't react from where she sat numbly in the closet. Finnick silently sat down beside her.

After a few long minutes of sitting, Annie reacted to his presence. "I don't want to go back." Her raspy voice came out in a strangled whisper.

"You're not going back," Finnick assured her. "You're never going back there. I promise."

"But you are," Annie said. "You're going back, and you'll leave me here."

Finnick felt his heart plummet. Was that really what she thought? That he would go to the Capitol and find some other woman, and leave her behind? "No, Annie, no!" He winced as he realized his protests were a little louder than intended when Annie flinched. He lowered his voice. "I'm not leaving you behind. I'm right here."

Annie let out a noncommittal sound.

"How about this," Finnick started as he reached for her hand. "Whenever you see me on TV, look for the rope bracelet. I'll wear it all the time, and you can look for it so you know I'm thinking of you."

"Alright," Annie said softly. "I can do that."

"I know you can. And, just so you're not alone, I'll get one of the other victors in the village to look after you. I'm sure you'll be just fine, but it never hurts to have someone to rely on."

Annie nodded in agreement. "You won't forget about me, will you?"

He shook his head. "No, I'd never forget about you. I love you too much."

This made Annie blush a little. "And you'll stay safe?" she continued.

"I'll try."

This seemed to be enough to satisfy Annie's worries. She yawned slightly and rested her head on Finnick's shoulder. This was how Mags found them, hours later; curled up in the closet with nothing but a spare blanket and the warmth of each other.

* * *

Reaping day came far too soon for both Finnick's and Annie's comfort. People were either worried for their loved ones or eager to volunteer and prove their worth. Emotions were running high.

"You look beautiful, Annie." Finnick smiled gently as he brushed a stray curl from her eyes. "All you have to do is sit on the stage and wait until it's over, then you can go home."

Annie sniffled. "But you'll be gone, Finn."

"I'll be back."

Annie took a deep breath to steady herself. Finnick squeezed her hand in reassurance. "We'd better go," he said. "Let's go meet Mags on the stage. We don't want to be late."

Finnick led Annie outside to the stage, where people were beginning to assemble and cameras were being set up. He greeted their escort, Electra, with a charming smile. After getting Annie settled in her chair, he took his place in his own.

Let the reaping begin.

"Welcome, welcome, all!" Electra flashed a nauseatingly bright smile that made Finnick's stomach churn. "Welcome to the reaping of the 71st Hunger Games!"

As Electra commenced with her usual speech, Finnick glanced over to the other side of the stage at Annie. Her face was pale and slightly peaky, but she looked otherwise alright. Perhaps a bit aloof for the occasion, but it was better than a full breakdown.

"And now," Electra beamed. "May the odds be ever in your favor. Let's start with the ladies."

She pulled the name of Adeline Geller, a petite brunette girl who would have been considered pretty if not for the fact that she looked slightly green as she walked up to the stage. A few accidental tears fell from her eyes when nobody stepped forward to volunteer.

With unparalleled zeal, Electra pulled the boy's name. This time, it was a scrawny looking blond boy who couldn't have been older than thirteen. He was quickly replaced by a volunteer who looked to be about seventeen, named Asher Lawrence.

"Well, look at you two! We got quite a nice pair this this year! Everyone, give it up for District 4's tributes of the 71st Hunger Games—Adeline Geller and Asher Lawrence!"

Everyone in the crowd cheered. Everyone, except for the families of Adeline and Asher, who would go home later that night without their children. Who would probably never see their children again.

"It's time to get on the train," Mags said, interrupting his thoughts. Finnick's eyes scanned the crowd for Annie, but Mags stopped him. "Not enough time. People will start talking if you two are seen together. Get on the train, boy."

Finnick knew she was right. Just a moment before he boarded the train his eyes locked with Annie's. With no time to say goodbye, he left her with just a longing look and a small wave as his eyes lingered on his rope bracelet.

He had no time to dwell any further before he was herded onto the train. In just a few moments, he would officially meet Adeline and Asher. Then they'd be off to the Capitol for prep and training. In just a few short weeks, their lives would be over, and a sole victor would remain.

"So," Electra beamed once everyone had boarded the train and was settled. "This is where you'll talk to your mentors about strategy and training. I'll leave it up to the experts." She gave him a coy wink that Finnick responded to with a smile.

"How old are you both?" Finnick asked, getting the basics.

"I'm fifteen," Adeline said softly. Her hands fiddled nervously in her lap as she glanced around the room.

"I'm sixteen. And I've been trained," Asher said.

Finnick nodded. He could work with that. "Alright. Well, that's good then. Have you done any training, Adeline?"

Adeline shook her head miserably. "No. I've got no chance of winning."

"Oh, don't talk like that," Electra smiled in what she hoped was confidence, oblivious to the tension in the room. "I believe you can do it if you try hard enough."

Finnick and Mags watched silently as Adeline stood up abruptly, knocking some cups off of the coffee table with a clatter. "There's no point! I'm just going to die, anyway!"

Electra's eyes seemed to grow comically large as her eyes bulged out of her head. She raised a shaky hand to her mouth in horror. Finnick felt dread pool in his stomach as a deafening silence covered them like a blanket.

"Well," Electra let out a shuddering breath. In a futile attempt to salvage the conversation, she said, "Who's ready to watch the reapings?"


	26. Chapter 26

Finnick heaved a sigh as he stood up. Just as they did every year, they would watch the reapings to get a sense of the other tributes; who was a threat, who wasn't. Who to look out for, or who to ignore. It was simply routine for him by now.

They all made their way into the living room, where they could watch the TV. As soon as Finnick had gotten Mags settled on the couch, Electra hurriedly turned on the TV.

"District 1 is first," she announced. "Oh, they really are an attractive pair!" Electra beamed as she looked at the pair of District 1 tributes. Adeline rolled her eyes. "Well, either one of them would make a wonderful victor, don't you think?"

"District 1," Asher began as he stared intently at the screen. "They'll be part of the Career pack for sure. But you can't tell just by looking at them what their strengths or weaknesses are."

Finnick shrugged. "You can if you look hard enough. See the boy? The way he's glancing around like that; he's uncertain. They were both volunteers, but that doesn't mean they actually know what they're doing."

"You're good at this," Adeline remarked.

"I have been doing it for years."

They watched in silence for a few minutes as the tributes for Districts 2 and 3 were shown. The group had unanimously agreed that the District 2 tributes were a formidable threat, but the ones from 3 looked relatively harmless. Finally, it was time to watch their own reaping.

"Oh, here you two are!" Electra leaned in a little closer. The TV showed Adeline being chosen and making the shaky walk to the stage.

"Oh," Adeline groaned in frustration as she put her head in her hands. "I was crying on stage! I bet they all think I'm pathetic now!"

"Don't worry about it," Mags spoke up. "There's always somebody worse off than you."

Adeline gave a halfhearted shrug.

"Besides," Asher quipped, "I thought you weren't planning on winning, anyway."

"Just because I know I won't win doesn't mean I want to be remembered as the weakest tribute this year."

Finnick held his tongue. He knew it would be a miracle if she was even remembered at all, unless she survived.

"Oh, the tributes from 5 look..." Electra interjected, trying to get the conversation back on track. "Uhm, quite smart."

They watched silently as two young kids from 6 were picked. With District 7's reaping came a tall, brooding boy and a thin girl who was openly weeping.

"Hey," Asher said. "At least you aren't doing that." He pointed to where the crying girl was standing on the stage, shaking like a leaf.

"I think we can rule out her as a threat," Adeline bit back a laugh.

"I wouldn't be so quick to assume," Finnick shrugged. "Who knows, maybe she'll surprise us."

"Somehow, I doubt she'll make it past the bloodbath," Asher retorted. Finnick just shrugged again, and they left it at that.

* * *

The next few days were focused on training. It was discovered after the first day of training that Adeline was proficient at hand-to-hand combat.

"I used to dance," she explained over breakfast the next morning. "Though I don't see how that will help me now."

"You know how to move your body, so that's definitely helpful," Finnick assured her. At Adeline's unsure look, he continued. "I promise; that skill can help you more than you know." Asher snorted into his oatmeal.

"What?" Adeline asked scornfully. "You don't think it'll work?"

"What are you going do, dance for the Gamemakers?"

Adeline shrugged. "Maybe I will. If I'm going to be dead in a few days, I at least want to spend my short time left doing something I enjoy."

"Whatever," Asher shrugged. "But don't expect me to ally with you in the arena."

"Speaking of allies," Mags said. "Are you joining the Careers?"

"They asked me to join. I think I will." Asher puffed out his chest proudly.

Finnick nodded with concentration. "Okay, so Asher's part of the Career pack. Adeline? I'm assuming you're not joining?" When Adeline shook her head, he continued. "So I'm thinking we could play up the classic Career angle for Asher. Adeline, I was thinking maybe a more mysterious angle for you. The Capitol loves its allure."

The two quickly agreed before they were ushered off to another day of training. With nothing to do until he had an appointment with a client in a few hours, Finnick found his thoughts drifting back to Annie.

How was she back home? Was she being taken care of? Did she miss him?

His hand subconsciously found its way to his rope bracelet. He fiddled with it on his wrist gently. Finnick gave the bracelet one last look before he stood up and made his way to the lobby to gather sponsors.

* * *

"Alright everyone, gather around!" Electra's breathy voice carried across the room. "It's time to watch Caesar announce the training scores!"

Finnick sat down next to Mags as they watched the TV turn on. Caesar Flickerman's excited face filled the screen. After repeating his usual speech on training scores and what they meant, Caesar began to announce scores.

In the typical fashion of District 1, their tributes got high scores of 9 and 10. District 2's tributes matched that with scores of 8 and 10. Finnick couldn't help but smile when it Caesar announced that Asher had gotten a 9, which made him fit right in with the Careers.

Adeline earned a lower score of 6. She shrugged, seemingly uncaring. "I just danced."

"Well, that's okay," Electra said reassuringly. "You'll have plenty of chance to prove your worth in the arena."

Adeline's score of 6 proved to be nothing too serious when it announced that Johanna Mason, the crying girl from 7, got a 3.

"See? It could be worse."

They wrapped up the night and Finnick and Mags sent the kids to bed. They would need energy to prepare for the interviews tomorrow. It was their last chance to impress sponsors, so they had better make the most of it.

* * *

Much to Electra's delight, the interviews went by without a hitch. Adeline stumbled a bit during her interview, but Caesar was there to support her.

Finally, it was time to send them into the arena.

"I'm prepared. I think I've got a good shot," Asher said early in the morning. He caught Adeline before she was due in prep, and Finnick could vaguely hear him whisper, "I know I said I wouldn't, but I'll protect you in there. If you need help, y'know."

Adeline gave a thin smile in return before being whisked away by her prep team.

"I guess it's time to go to the Mentors' Lounge," Finnick said hollowly. "The Games will be starting soon." Mags nodded.

For just a moment longer, Finnick's gaze remained on the spot where Adeline and Asher were just standing. They were there, and then they weren't.

He should have been used it to now. After all, that was just how the game worked.


	27. Chapter 27

The Mentors' Lounge was fairly empty when Finnick and Mags arrived. There was nobody in the room, save for Wiress and Beetee from 3, and Haymitch from 12.

The rest of the mentors filled in within the next 10 minutes, while they waited for the Games to begin.

"Our alliance is strong this year," Cashmere started off the conversation. "You joining us this year, Finnick?"

Finnick shrugged, thinking back to Asher's statement about protecting Adeline. "It depends on what Asher decides to do."

"You better hope he decides soon." Enobaria pointed to the large screen in the center of the room, displaying the few seconds right before the bloodbath. When the final seconds were done ticking by, the gong sounded; the tributes were blurs as they ran to their deaths.

Out of the corner of his eye, Finnick saw Seeder wince when her girl was the first to fall. District 11's boy died a few seconds later; crumpling to the ground as a spear hit him in the back.

"That's it, then," Chaff grunted. He and Seeder stood up to call the families.

Finnick's attention was drawn back to the screen. Adeline had made a beeline to the creek, avoiding the bloodbath altogether. Asher, as he had promised, joined the Careers.

"Looks like you're with us," Gloss said, inviting Finnick to join the other Career mentors at their makeshift alliance table.

The camera showed the whereabouts of the other tributes for a few seconds. To his slight surprise, Johanna Mason had survived the bloodbath. She made a hasty camp among some trees in the woods and silently cried into the moss.

"That won't get her any sponsors," Enobaria snickered.

"Quiet, they're saying something!" Cashmere hushed her fellow mentor and drew everyone's attention to the screen.

"I think we should go for the weak ones first," the District 1 girl, Sylvia, said, already establishing herself as leader.

"I agree." The boy from 1, Cain, said. "What about the girl from your district, Four? She didn't look very strong to me."

"I don't think we should go after her," Asher responded coolly. "You really think she's the weakest one in here? What about that girl from 7?"

"The girl from 7 can wait," Vespyr, from 2, dismissed. "I think we should go after the boy from 12."

"Oh, that's a good one," Sylvia agreed. "Everyone in agreement? We go after the boy from 12?"

The Careers all nodded. It was a unanimous decision; the boy from 12 would be their first target. Let the Games officially begin.

* * *

Finnick was able to monitor his tributes for another four hours before getting called away to visit a client. Mags gave a promise to look over Adeline and Asher in his absence, and he trusted her.

It was nighttime in the arena when Finnick finally returned. The mentors who were keeping watch gave him a brief recap of the day's events.

"They got the boy from 12," Brutus said. "I think they're going after District 3 next."

"Right," Cashmere confirmed. "They talked a bit about going after your girl, Finnick, but Asher talked them out of it. He's got quite the protective instinct. Were they close?"

"You could say that," he sighed. "What's going on now?"

"They're just sleeping. Milo, the boy from 2, is keeping watch."

Finnick settled into his chair. There wasn't really much to do but wait.

With early morning came a new and vicious determination from the Career pack. With unparalleled vigor, they took down the tributes from 3.

"Now that that's done," Vespyr grinned with satisfaction, "Who all is left?"

"Us, girl from 4, both from 7, boy from 8, boy from 9, and girl from 10. So eleven left." Sylvia calculated with record speed. "I've been keeping track."

"Clearly."

"Okay, so what's our next move?" Asher asked. "Because I say we go after the girl from 10."

"No," Milo said. "We should go after the girl from 4."

Asher paled slightly but remained silent.

"Yeah," Cain smiled. "Let's go after her."

The Careers waited for a few moments, waiting for Asher to protest. After a minute of lingering silence, he said, "She'd be by the creek. Let's go."

Mags watched with a pinched expression. Finnick knew how she was feeling. They were about to watch Asher stand by as his district partner was slaughtered. The two that had become almost like friends were about to face off. It made bile rise in his throat, but all Finnick could do was watch.

Sure enough, as they approached the creek, Adeline was there. She tried in vain to run, but she knew she wouldn't make it.

With stunning accuracy, Sylvia hurled a spear at Adeline's heart.

It was so quick that Finnick almost missed it. Asher, at the last minute, dove and pushed Adeline out of the way. The spear pierced his stomach, and he crumbled to the ground. As the cannon sounded, Adeline took off into the bushes.

Finnick groaned. He knew what was coming. As the announcers watched Asher take a hit for Adeline, they pulled up a clip of Griffin doing the same for Annie a year before. Claudius Templesmith gushed at the repetition.

"Don't let her get away!" Sylvia ordered. The rest of the Careers tore off into the bushes to follow Adeline, leaving Asher's limp body behind.

The chase was intense. Only a few minutes later, Milo chucked a knife at Adeline's moving silhouette. She staggered a bit before falling down and clutching her head, where the knife had pierced her skull. The cannon sounded a moment later, and the Careers celebrated their newest victory.

"Looks like you're done," Enobaria said, her voice showing no signs of sympathy. "Better go make those calls."

"Oh, you can at least be polite," Cashmere scolded. "Sorry, Finnick. Not a very good way to go down. Better luck next year."

"Yeah," he replied hollowly. "Better luck next year."

* * *

At the request of President Snow, Finnick stayed in the Capitol until the end of the Games to take on more clients. Mags had gone home to see Annie. He missed Annie desperately, although his attention was mostly focused on the Games. It seemed that after his tributes died, the Games had gotten more riveting than ever.

"Oh, you don't mind if we watch the recap of the Hunger Games, do you?" his client for that evening, Beatrix, asked. "I really don't want to miss this. I was very upset to watch what happened to your tributes, of course, but you simply can't miss what happened next."

Having missed the next few days of the Games due to sending the bodies of his tributes home, Finnick had no idea what followed Adeline's death. "I actually did miss it. Would you be so kind as to tell me what happened?"

"They're showing a recap right now. See for yourself."

Finnick watched intently as the rest of the Games unfolded. Following their previous strategy, the Careers picked off the other tributes, one by one. It wasn't until later that they remembered Johanna Mason, who had been dismissed in the haste of killing everyone else. There were only five tributes left; it was just the well trained Careers and a weak, forgettable girl from 7.

The outcome should've been obvious.

To the surprise of everyone watching, Johanna stole an axe from Milo and retaliated; killing all four Careers in under five minutes. The sobbing girl from the reaping had turned into an unhinged soldier of a woman.

"Well, I never would have expected that!"

Finnick tuned out Beatrix's mindless rambling. Did this mean her weakness was an act all along? It was definitely an interesting play, but it worked.

The 71st Hunger Games were over, and Johanna Mason had emerged victorious.


	28. Chapter 28

"Now, Finnick, remember to stand up straight and smile! I know you won't disappoint—you know how big a deal the Victory Tour is!"

Finnick stayed silent as Electra flitted around him, adjusting his jacket and straightening his collar. Today, the Capitol camera crew would be visiting District 4, as well as Johanna Mason, who had won the previous Games.

"Electra, don't you think it would make us look unaccommodating if you were in here instead of helping the camera crew set up?" he asked innocently. For good measure, he added, "I'm sure they could use your experienced mind and eye for detail."

"Oh, yes, you're right! I'd better go!" Electra bustled off, her blue skirts flowing behind her.

"That was smart."

Finnick whirled around to see Annie, who was dressed in a classic green dress for the day. Her hair and makeup was already done, but her tense shoulders displayed her uneasiness.

"I am so glad it's you," he breathed a sigh of relief. Finnick gave her a quick hug and glanced around to make sure nobody was watching. "How are you feeling?"

Annie shrugged gently. "I could be better. I just hope I don't have a breakdown on camera, though."

"You'll be okay. We can probably stand together. As long as we're with Mags, it'll just look like the victors are standing together. Nothing unusual about that that, is there?"

"I suppose not," Annie smiled, although the worried crease between her eyebrows didn't fade.

Finnick kissed her forehead swiftly. "It'll be done soon, then you can go home. Come on, we should get out there before we're late."

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, this year's victor; Johanna Mason!" The mayor of District 4 announced jovially.

Finnick had to admit that the enthusiasm of the bustling crowd was welcome. It would make for good publicity, anyway. The cameras were stationed near where he stood with Mags and Annie, which he was certain was no coincidence.

Johanna Mason began to speak, in that brusque and abrasive manner he had come to associate with her. Her appearances on television after her victory were so different from the weak persona she had displayed before, yet much more fitting for a victor.

He wondered if Snow had begun to exploit her yet.

The crowd cheered as Johanna wrapped up her speech. With the speech done, it was time to have the party afterwords.

"This way, Finnick!" Electra, appearing out of nowhere, grabbed his wrist a little too tightly and dragged him to the party in the Justice Building. "You have some people who are very excited to see you!"

He didn't respond, though it would have been wise to supply a seductive remark. Instead, Finnick glanced back in the direction of Annie. He made a futile attempt to catch a glimpse of her, but there were far too many people. Finnick was caught off guard when a body slammed into him, causing him to stumble.

"Watch where you're going!"

The voice was female, he could tell, but most women he knew wouldn't have greeted him that way. He was about to apologize when he caught sight of her face.

Johanna Mason glared back at him, a snarl on her lips and a look of utter disdain on her face.

"Johanna Mason," Finnick greeted. "Congratulations on your victory."

"Please, Odair," she rolled her eyes. "Skip the pleasantries. You and I both no there's nothing to celebrate here." Finnick didn't bother to ask how she knew his name.

"Really? Fame, glory, riches; what more could you ask for?"

Johanna shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, maybe I'd like my life back."

Finnick raised his eyebrows. "Be careful what you say around here. You never know who might be listening."

Johanna seemed to get the message. "Yeah, I've already gotten that lecture."

So Snow had talked to her. Finnick wondered briefly how much had been explained to her about what being a victor entailed.

"They say you're quite desirable, you know," she remarked nonchalantly as she picked up a glass of wine from a tray.

"I've heard."

Johanna paid him no attention as she continued talking. "They said that about me, too."

This piqued Finnick's interest. "Oh? And what did you say?"

Her grin was almost feral as she responded. "I said I wasn't interested."

* * *

It wasn't until late into the night, when everything from the party had been packed up, that Finnick was able to return home. The house was quiet and still when he returned.

At the sound of the front door opening, Finnick saw Annie make her way down the stairs. Her previously extravagant hair had been taken down for sleep and her Capitol makeup had been removed.

"Hey, did I wake you up?"

"No," she responded. "I was already awake."

He nodded in understanding. Annie sat down on the couch, and Finnick joined her a moment later. "How did the party go?"

"It went okay. I left pretty early, but I don't think anyone really noticed," she said as she yawned. "It's late. Did the party really last this long?"

"No, but I had some people I needed to see."

Annie didn't respond to that. He knew she was aware of what he had to do. Finnick thought she had fallen asleep before she asked, "Did you get a chance to talk to Johanna Mason?"

Finnick laughed softly. "I did. She seemed a little unhinged, didn't she?"

"I guess, but you can't really blame her. We're all a little mad, remember?"

He nodded. Despite her rather vicious nature, the Capitol seemed to like her. Which wasn't very good news for Johanna, but Snow would be happy to have a new victor to parade around.

"Finn?" Annie asked, drawing him out of his thoughts. "You look exhausted. Want to go to bed?"

"That would be great. Let's be quiet so we don't wake Mags up, though."

Annie cracked a smile. "I don't know why you're telling me this. You're the one who has issues with being quiet."

Finnick laughed abruptly, but stopped when Annie gave him a knowing look.

"See? You know I'm right." At her statement, he pretended to be wounded, but the slight upward tug of his lips betrayed his happiness.

They approached the doorway to their bedroom as Finnick said, "I'm so glad that night is over."

"I know you are," Annie said, smiling softly at him in the darkness of their room. "But just think; tomorrow, we can go to the beach or do whatever you want."

"I want to spend time with you."

Annie's face flushed. "You're so cheesy sometimes, Finn."

He smirked. "You love it, though."

"I suppose I can't deny that."

Finnick smiled as he laid down next to Annie. His tired body seemed to melt into the bed as it embraced him. His eyelids fluttered, and he was asleep within minutes.


	29. Chapter 29

Two weeks after the end of the Victory Tour found Finnick and Annie fairly relaxed. There hadn't been any news from the Capitol, as they were still winding down after Johanna's tour. District 4, however, was as lively as ever. Finnick knew the town square would be busy since the monthly farmers' market was taking place.

"We should go to the market today," Annie remarked over her morning cup of tea. Finnick looked up suddenly.

"What?" he asked, not sure if her heard her right. Annie hadn't expressed any interest in going really anywhere public since her arena. "Are you sure?"

"I want to get out of the house," she insisted. "I think we all should."

Finnick was still doubtful. Two victors (one with a reputation of being mentally unstable) going out into a crowded, noisy place didn't sound like a very beneficial plan.

"She's not wrong," Mags supplied as she joined them in the kitchen. "You should go."

"Then you should come with us, Mags," Finnick said. "You need to get out of the house, too."

Mags shrugged. "I should stay here. I am old, after all."

"Since when has that ever stopped you?" Finnick challenged.

Mags laughed, and it was decided that the three of them would go visit the market; if only for a short time. Grabbing their jackets, they stepped into the cool winter air.

* * *

"It's pretty cold outside today," Annie remarked once they had returned home. The trip to the market was rather short, but the fresh air had done them all some good. "I forget that District 4 gets cold sometimes."

Mags laughed.

"Yeah," Finnick said. "It's too bad we can't go swimming."

"Who's stopping us?" Annie asked. "It's not like it's illegal to swim in the winter time, is it?"

"Not illegal," Mags grumbled. "Just a horrible idea."

Finnick and Annie exchanged glances and smiled. "We'll see you later, Mags," he said as he and Annie grabbed a bag by the door and rushed outside.

Before the door closed behind them, Finnick heard Mags laugh fondly and remark, "Never listen to a word I say..."

The short walk to the beach was brisk and cold. Annie pulled her jacket closer to herself and shivered from the slight chill in the air.

"Are we sure this is actually a good idea, Finn?"

Finnick took her hand in his. "I never said this was a good idea, Annie, just that it would be fun. You just have to trust me, alright?"

Annie laughed as they got closer to their little secluded area of the beach. "Sure, I trust you."

Nearing the edge of the water, Finnick led Annie to the shoreline. "We're swimming in our clothes?" she asked, puzzled.

"Unless you'd rather take your clothes off," he smirked. Annie flushed bright red.

"I think I'm fine like this," she said. Her skirt floated up around her hips as she waded further into the water. "This isn't too bad."

"I did say you'd be fine, didn't I?" Finnick smiled. Annie just rolled her eyes.

"Just shut up and come swim with me," she laughed, her eyes bright and clear.

Finnick, without hesitation, followed her.

* * *

When they had grown tired of swimming and the cold water, Finnick and Annie curled up with a blanket on the beach. Despite the chill in the air, the warm sun beat down on them.

"Have you ever thought about getting married?" Annie asked suddenly, after she'd been quiet in thought for several minutes.

"Annie..."

"No, I know it can't happen," she said stiffly. "But have you thought about it?"

It was true that Finnick wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her, but he was a victor, and there was no way Snow was letting him go any time soon. Marrying Annie would be putting her in even more danger, and Finnick wasn't keen on the idea of drawing any more attention to her than he needed to.

"I've thought about it," he admitted. "And if our situations were different, I'd marry you right now."

Annie sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "But you can't."

"Yeah."

"Maybe someday, then," Annie said wistfully. Finnick smiled gently and took her hand.

"Maybe someday," he echoed, a hint of longing in his voice.

They sat together in silence for a while, listening to the waves crash upon the shore. The sun set and the air cooled as Annie shivered slightly in his arms.

"Ready to go home?"

Annie nodded. "Yeah, we should probably go. It's getting late."

They walked the short walk home. Stepping in to the warmth of their house, Annie pulled off her wet jacket. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Can I come?" Finnick asked jokingly.

"Well," Annie smirked, her face heating up in a blush. "We wouldn't want to waste water...it might be best if you join me."

Finnick gave her an easy smile. "I thought you'd never ask."

The couple made their way upstairs quietly, as to not wake Mags.

Later that night, after they had gotten ready for bed, Finnick wrapped his arms around Annie in their shared bed. Annie stirred and opened her eyes.

"Sorry," Finnick said softly, realizing he'd woken her up.

"No, it's fine," she replied with a bleary smile. "Why are you still up? Did you have a nightmare? You could have woken me, you know."

"No nightmare," Finnick assured her. "And I did wake you."

"I suppose so. You can't sleep, then?"

Finnick kissed her softly. "How am I supposed to sleep when I have a beautiful woman in my arms?"

Even in the darkness of the bedroom, he could see Annie blush.

"Go to sleep, Finn," she said. "You could use it."

"Why, Annie," Finnick asked with mock hurt. "Are you saying that I look tired?"

"You _are_ tired, Finnick. C'mon, let's get some sleep." Annie laid back down, her hair splayed around her pillow.

He smiled as he pulled Annie closer. She sighed in content as her eyelids fluttered shut. He followed suit a few minutes later, falling into a comfortable sleep.


	30. Chapter 30

Months later, Finnick sat in the Mentors' Lounge as he watched the 72nd Hunger Games commence. Leaving Annie behind was no easier than it usually was, but she had been doing well recently, and Finnick knew she could take care of herself.

Mags sat beside him, monitoring their tributes' vitals. Their tributes this year both had a good level of training, but their girl had just taken a stab wound to the chest and wasn't faring too well.

The cannon sounded a moment later.

Finnick sighed as Cecelia from 8 shot him a sympathetic glance. He stood up to call the girl's parents.

When he returned, the Careers were talking about their next step in the game. Or, rather, who to kill next. Another screen displayed the girl from 7, where Johanna Mason was watching her fight intently.

"Fuck," Johanna hissed as her girl was taken down with a spear. "We're done," she told Blight. It was her first year as a mentor, and District 7 made it only a few days into the game.

Finnick watched as Johanna exited to the break room, and made the impulsive decision to follow her.

"What are you doing here, Odair?" Johanna asked as she heard him come in. "Don't you still have your boy left?"

"Mags is watching him. And it's usually customary for the other mentors to help the new victors out a little. Help you get used to the experience."

Johanna practically growled at him, her disdain clear. "Do I look like I give a shit about your customs? I don't need your help."

"Okay," Finnick said coolly. "I could just leave you alone to call that girl's parents and tell them their daughter is dead, then."

Johanna sulked on the couch. "Fine, stay. I don't care."

Finnick sat beside her. Being a mentor, especially the first time, was tough. Even more so when you had nobody to help you out. 

"They killed my parents." Johanna stared straight ahead, didn't look at him. "And my brother. I got home from my Victory Tour and they were dead. Because I didn't become Snow's whore."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't give me my life back. It doesn't bring my family back," she spat. "I hate them. I hate Snow."

"Johanna," he gave her a warning glance. How could he tell her to stop talking before she got anyone else killed? He eventually just settled on, "Be careful."

Standing up, Johanna gave him one last look before joining Blight back outside. "You too, Odair. See you around."

* * *

After watching over his remaining tribute for hours, Mags sent Finnick back to his room to get some sleep. Stepping inside, he quickly got ready for bed.

Finnick paused when he saw a slip of paper sticking out from behind a mirror; a slip of paper that definitely wasn't there before. He pulled it out.

Finnick could already tell that it wasn't another letter from Snow; it didn't have the familiar, cloying scent of roses. And Snow wouldn't hide his letters. No, this was something else. Unable to hold off any longer, he opened the letter.

_Meet me on the roof at 10. Come alone. We can talk more in person._

And that was it. No signature, sparse details. Finnick didn't recognize the handwriting. He scanned the note again. Why would this person want to meet with him alone on the roof? He wasn't scheduled for any clients tonight.

Ruling out the possibility that it was a client, he examined the note one last time. It was 9 now, so he had about an hour before the clandestine meeting.

Finnick took a quick shower and waited until 10. Five minutes before, he headed up to the roof. Whatever this meeting was about, it had to be secret; the roof was a prime place for talking because there were no cameras to pick up on anything that was said, and wind and traffic obscured any conversation.

Making his way up, Finnick joined the blurry silhouette of a figure he couldn't quite make out on the roof.

"Finnick. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

Walking closer, Finnick recognized the man as Plutarch Heavensbee, a Gamemaker, and someone he had assumed to be very pro-Capitol. He was about to turn around and forget about this altogether when Plutarch called out again.

"Wait! Just hear me out. You can leave if you want, but hear what I have to say first."

"What could you possibly want to talk to me about?" Finnick asked suspiciously.

Plutarch ignored his question. "I can understand why you wouldn't want to speak with me. I symbolize everything you despise about the Capitol."

Finnick said nothing, just raised his eyebrows.

"Listen, Finnick," Plutarch said. "I'm sure you've noticed that Panem has a severely oppressive government."

"Of course I've noticed," Finnick said. "What is this about?"

"We're starting a movement, of sorts. To stop the inequality between the Districts and the Capitol and put a stop to the Hunger Games, for good. To overthrow the government, and eventually, President Snow. A free Panem, if you will."

Finnick paused. A world without the Hunger Games, without Snow; it sounded too good to be true.

"You said 'we'," he said. "Who else is in on this plan?"

"District Thirteen."

Finnick glared at him, certain this was a joke. "District Thirteen fell 72 years ago."

"On the outside, it did," Plutarch nodded. "But District Thirteen is still fully functional and self sufficient, underground. They made an agreement with the Capitol after the first rebellion. They wouldn't use their nuclear supplies to bomb the Capitol. In return, the Capitol would leave them alone."

"Why should I believe you?" Finnick asked, scathingly.

Plutarch handed him a tape. "Watch the mockingjay. It's in the same place every time. The Capitol reuses the same recording."

"How is this relevant?" 

Plutarch sighed. "Think about it, Finnick. Why would the Capitol use the same recording of the ruins of Thirteen instead of a new one?"

There was only one reason why they might choose to reuse the recording. Thirteen must still be functioning.

Finnick ran his fingers through his hair. "So, let me get this straight. You are working with District Thirteen to start a rebellion and overthrow the Capitol?"

"That's the gist of it, yes," Plutarch nodded his confirmation. "And we want your help. The people will listen to you, Finnick. We just need something to get the people fired up, but we can't say for sure when that'll be. It could be years before this plan goes into affect."

"Are there any other victors in on it?" he asked.

"Haymitch Abernathy from 12, Chaff and Seeder from 11, Cecelia from 8, Blight from 7. Mags has been in for a while, too."

"They're all reliable," Finnick agreed. He paused for a moment, and then, "Add Johanna, too, if you're doing this."

"Johanna Mason?" Plutarch asked. "She's relatively new, isn't she?"

"Trust me, nobody wants to overthrow the Capitol more than she does," he said, thinking back to their earlier conversation. "What about Annie?"

"We can keep Annie safe in District Thirteen," Plutarch assured him. "What do you say, Finnick? Are you willing to fight for a free Panem?"

Finnick thought of his tributes, how they died so young every year. He thought of the other victors, how they all lived in their own personal hell simply because they survived. He thought of Johanna and their budding friendship. And Finnick thought of Annie, how she wanted to get married. How he wanted to devote himself fully to her without consequence.

"Finnick? Are you in?"

Finnick glanced down at the ever present rope bracelet on his wrist, reminding him of home. He took a deep breath.

"I'm in."


End file.
